


What If?

by HPfanatic12



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Goes through each book, Not a Ron bashing fic!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-03-24 00:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 98,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13799313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPfanatic12/pseuds/HPfanatic12
Summary: AU. Starts 2nd year. The Weasleys didn't rescue Harry from the Dursleys, the Creevey boys did. Join them as they build friendships with the trio and join them on their adventures. Read as Harry gains his deepest desire: a family





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I started this on ffnet (I'll be posting updates there too) and decided to post it on here as well. I decided to do this because there are certainly not enough Creevey fics that don't resolve around his death or bash him or make him more creepy. So yeah, I hope you guys enjoy this!

It was quite a beautiful night in Little Whinging. The night's sky was vividly clear with plenty of brightly shining stars. The air was warm yet had a breeze, not too hot nor too cold. It was the perfect evening for a photographer; which is exactly what eleven-year-old Colin Creevey thought when he forced his brother to accompany him as he captured near perfect snapshots.  
"Are we done yet?" Dennis whined. "I hate carrying this thing!" he motioned to the rolls of film that was firmly in his arms.  
Colin sighed impatiently. Dennis didn't share his love for photography; so he spent this walk mostly complaining. "Soon. Stop complaining."  
Dennis grumbled something unintelligible.  
Colin's annoyance didn't last; he became distracted by the superlative position the moon was in. He ever so carefully took four or five pictures; each one looking better than the last. He was so engrossed that he barely heard a small voice say,  
"Do you really have to leave?"  
Colin whirled around to face his brother and was startled to see his eyes were red, as if he was trying to hold back tears. "Hey now," Colin sat his camera on the ground so he could embrace Dennis. "What's with the tears?"  
The nine year old sniffled. . "You're leaving and I'll be alone." Colin's heart broke a little. He'd been so excited to find out that he was a wizard and was to go to school for it that he hadn't even considered Dennis' feelings. "I don't want you to go!"  
Colin rested his chin on his brother's head. "I know you don't," he squeezed him gently. "But I'll take lots of pictures and I'll write everyday."  
"Promise?" Dennis lower lip quivered.  
"I promise," Colin assured him.  
This seemed to cheer Dennis up a bit. "Okay," he said quietly.  
Colin patted his back and let him go. He let out a gasp as a big, furry dog suddenly appeared from the shadows. Dennis squeaked, hurriedly moving to hide from behind his big brother.  
"Nice doggy," Colin said slowly. "Nice doggy." His stomach dropped when it became clear the dog was eyeing his camera. "Shoo!" he raised his voice. "Shoo!"  
The dog rushed forward and the brother's huddled and braced themselves. But the dog hadn't gone after them; it had grabbed Colin's camera by the strap.  
"Hey!" Colin shrieked. "Give me that back!" Momentarily forgetting about Dennis, he ran after the dog; he yelled, too, not even caring that it was after eleven at night and that most people were settled into bed. Dennis tried to catch up with him; he ran as fast as his little legs would carry him.  
Colin's chest burned from the lack of air. He was sure they'd been running for a mile or so. They'd been yelled at by a few people when they ran right through their yards; not that he cared. He just wanted his camera back. He could hear Dennis panting behind him, this relieved him. At least he hadn't left his brother behind. His mum would have a fit.  
Luckily for them, the dog ran right into another yard, this time with a fence with a door that happened to be open. 'Follow me Dennis!" Colin yelled, running into the yard.  
"What do you think I've been doing?" Dennis panted but followed him nonetheless.  
Colin breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted his camera in the middle of the yard. He picked it up, hugging it to his chest. He was very pleased to see there was no damages. The dog, strangely, was no where to be found.  
"There," Dennis finally caught up. "Now you have your camera back. Let's go home, mum's probably worrying," He turned to leave but noticed Colin was staring upward. "What are you looking at?"  
"See that bedroom window?" Colin pointed. "It's got bars!"  
Dennis' jaw dropped. "Who would put bars on their windows?"  
Colin frowned. "I don't think it's voluntary."  
"What?" Dennis blinked in confusion.  
"Never mind," his brother said quickly. He felt very concerned. Who lived there? What on earth did they do to warrant this? As if on cue, a boy came to the window. He didn't appear to notice Dennis or Colin. He just stared yearningly out the window; or as best as he could between the bars.  
"He looks to be the same age as me!" Colin gasped. "We've got to do something!" he told his brother, seriously.  
Dennis wasn't much help. "Let's go home and tell mum."  
Colin shook his head. "We've got to do something now!"  
"But what do we do?"  
Colin's mind was racing. He just had to help the boy out. But how? The boy wasn't at the window anymore. Hmmm. He tried to think real hard. He thought about looking for a rope to pull the bars off but quickly dismissed the idea. He and Dennis didn't have that kind of strength. Colin sighed heavily. There was no way they could help him. Just as he was about to tell Dennis they were leaving, something miraculous happened: the bars, as if suddenly detached from their place, dropped and fell into the rose bush.  
The boys didn't know how to react. The window where they had been looked like the bars hadn't even been there.  
"Did you do that?" Dennis asked, amazed.  
'I-I don't know," Colin stuttered.  
The boy was back at the window now. He finally noticed them and stared at them bemused. "Did you do that?" the boy asked, curiously.  
"I think so?" Colin said, making it sound like a question.  
The boy looked around before inquiring, "Are you a wizard too?"  
Shocked, Colin said, "Yes, I am." He wasn't aware there was another wizard living so close!  
The boy looked a bit worried. "Can I come with you two?" He wasn't speaking very loudly. Perhaps he didn't want his parents to hear him, Colin reasoned.  
Dennis and Colin exchanged looks. They weren't sure how their parents would react to them bringing home another boy; especially since they were helping him escape.  
"Sure," Colin said finally. "You can come with us." Seconds later, the boy began throwing out his things. Colin and Dennis did their best to catch them. The boy struggled to get his trunk over and onto the ledge but somehow managed. He had a pretty owl, too. It was snowy white. He didn't bother with a cage, just told the bird to follow them.  
Can wizards speak to animals? Colin wondered.  
When it came to be the boy's turn, he hed one leg out when the brother's heard someone shout. It turned out to be a an overweight, middle aged man. Probably his father, Colin reckoned. He grabbed the boy by his arm and pulled rather hard. The boy winced and tried to get away.  
"Let him go you big bully!" Dennis shouted angrily. He crossed his arms and glared up at the man in a way he thought was threatening.  
But the man ignored him. He kept his grip but the boy had another idea. He jumped out the window and the man let go; unfortunately for him he also fell out. He fell face first into the rose bush and on the bars; effectively knocking him out. The boy was more graceful; he landed on his feet. Judging by his expression, he was as surprised at they were.  
"Wow," Dennis said at last. "That was cool!" he jumped and down excitedly.  
"Is he going to be okay?" Colin motioned to the man in the rose bush.  
The boy acted like he didn't really care. "He'll be fine."  
"We should, er, get back home. It's way after midnight," Colin glanced at his wristwatch.  
The boy nodded and began to pick up his things. He didn't ask for assistance either, just tried to carry everything in his scrawny arms.  
"Dennis, take his books, please," Colin ordered. "I'll help you with your trunk," he smiled at the surprised expression on the boy's face.  
"Thank you," he said once he found his voice. "I'm Harry, by the way. Harry Potter." He obviously was waiting for something, what, Colin didn't know. But he was watching the brother's with anticipation.  
"I'm Colin Creevey," he introduced himself, cheerfully. "This is my little brother, Dennis. He's nine. I'm eleven. Are you starting Hogwart's too?" They began walking out of the yard and were nearing the sidewalk.  
Harry shook his head no. "I started Hogwarts last year. I'll be a second year Gryffindor."  
Colin grinned widely. "Oh, is that the house you're in? Professor McGonagall told me there are four houses and they each stand for certain traits. What's Gryffindor's again?"  
"Bravery, recklessness," Harry replied.  
"Is it true that Slytherin is made up of bad people?" Colin asked in a hush whisper.  
Harry thought for a moment. "Well, a good lot of them are. I wouldn't say all of them. I was almost put in Slytherin."  
"Really?" Colin said in awe. "You don't seem like a bad bloke. But I do wonder, why did your parents put bars on your window?"  
Harry sucked in a breath. "They aren't my parents. My parents are dead. I live with my aunt, uncle and cousin."  
"How did they die?" Dennis blurted out.  
"Dennis!" Colin scolded. "You don't just ask that! Have some tact will you?"  
"Sorry," Dennis mumbled.  
"It's alright," Harry assured. "I'm actually surprised you don't know. I assumed you did. Everyone else does." He was quiet for a minute. "You're a Muggleborn aren't you?"  
"Muggles are non magic people, correct?" Colin questioned.  
"Yes."  
"Then yes, I am."  
"Makes sense," Harry said thoughtfully. "Did Professor McGonagall tell you about Voldemort?"  
"I don't believe so."  
"Voldemort, everyone calls him You-Know-Who-"  
"Why do they call him that?" Dennis giggled.  
"If you'd shut up we'd find out," Colin rolled his eyes.  
Harry continued, "Voldemort was a dark wizard who killed my parents with some kind of curse. He tried to kill me but couldn't. I'm not sure why. Last year at school he tried to kill me again. He wanted the Sorcerer's Stone so he could come back to power. He was in the back of my Defense teacher's head."  
"Cool!" Dennis exclaimed while Colin looked a bit queasy.  
"The back of his...head?"  
"Yeah," Harry grimaced a bit. "it was quite odd."  
"I bet," Colin muttered.  
The boys kept walking, stopping occasionally for Colin to take a picture.  
"You like photography?" Harry asked, smiling.  
"Don't get him started," Dennis muttered, rolling his eyes.  
"I love it!" Colin began explaining some of his best shots.  
"You got him started," Dennis sighed fondly.  
Dennis decided he rather liked Harry so far. He did, though, feel a tad jealous when he and his brother discussed wizard stuff. He wanted to be a wizard so bad. It sounded so fun! Well, maybe Colin and Harry could show him cool spells sometime.  
The Creevey house soon became in sight. Dennis excitedly pointed it out.  
"My bedroom's upstairs," he told Harry.  
"Our bedrooms are upstairs," Colin corrected but Dennis waved it off.  
"Yeah, what he said."  
They arrived at the driveway. Colin ever so gently opened the door, praying that his parents weren't up.  
"Our dad's a milkman, so it's not much," Colin rubbed the back of his neck.  
"I think it's brilliant," Harry breathed. The Creevey brother's smiled at him.  
"Where have you boys been?" An angry voice echoed.  
"Uh oh," Dennis mumbled.


	2. Chapter 2

"Can't sleep, mum?" Colin said nonchalantly.  
Mrs. Creevey was a rather short woman, though still taller than her sons. Her hair was mousy and blonde; it flowed down almost to the middle of her back. She had kind eyes and a plain glared at her sons with a look only a mother could pull off.  
"Something like that," she clicked her tongue. 'What were you boys thinking?" she hissed a moment later. "You could've been hurt! You know when curfew is, why would you purposely stay out this late?"  
Colin and Dennis had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry, mum," Colin apologized. "A dog took my camera then we had to rescue Harry-"  
"And who is Harry?" their mother interrupted.  
The brother's moved away from Harry so she could get a good look at him.  
"Hello ma'am," Harry said a bit shyly. "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."  
Mrs. Creevey pursed her lips. "What do you mean you had to rescue him?"  
"They put bars on his window mum!" Dennis exclaimed.  
"It was barbaric," Colin added.  
Mrs. Creevey looked alarmed. "Bars on your window? Why on earth would your parents do that?"  
"He doesn't have parents, mum. He lives with his uncle, aunt and cousin," Colin corrected.  
"My aunt and uncle," Harry said quietly. "They hate magic. They thought they could prevent me from going back to Hogwarts..."  
"You poor dear, you look like you haven't eaten in days," Mrs. Creevey said, eyeing Harry's thin form. She made a mental note give him extra helpings at meals.  
"Can he stay here, mum? Please?" Colin begged.  
"Yeah please?" Dennis echoed.  
Their mother looked from her boys to Harry. "Alright. Boys, take Harry's things up to Colin's room." The brother's wasted no time in doing as they were told. Mrs. Creevey smiled at Harry. "Would you like some cake, dear? I just made it yesterday."  
"No thank you," Harry declined but his stomach chose that moment to growl hungrily.  
Mrs. Creevey raised her eyebrows but said nothing more about the subject.  
"It's all set," Colin and Dennis came down the stairs. Dennis was in his ducky pj's. "You can sleep on my bed, Harry."  
'What? No! I'll sleep on the floor," Harry protested. "I can't let you do that."  
"Don't worry," Colin waved it off. "I'll sleep with Dennis." The younger boy jumped up in glee.  
"Yay!"  
Mrs. Creevey hushed her youngest child. "Dad's sleeping, Denny."  
"Sorry," Dennis smiled sheepishly.  
Shaking her head fondly, Mrs. Creevey ushered them upstairs. "Off to bed you lot. It's late."  
Colin hugged his mother then took Harry upstairs to show him his room. Dennis remained at the foot of the stairs, looking uncertain.  
"Mummy?"  
Mrs. Creevey locked the door. "Yes dear?"  
"Are we in trouble?" Dennis asked guiltily.  
Mrs. Creevey kissed the top of his head. "Not this time dear."

 

"So what do you think?" Colin asked Harry, eagerly. "Neat, isn't it?"  
Colin's room was, to say the least, eccentric. The dresser and bed were the only pieces of furniture in the room; they were painted a very dull shade of yellow. The walls, however, were a very bright shade of yellow. All along the walls were numerous photographs of family, the outdoors and wild animals. Atop the dresser were many rolls of film. The room was surprisingly clean, being that it was occupied by a preteen boy.  
"It's wonderful," Harry agreed in awe. "My room at my aunt's house wasn't nearly as bright as yours."  
Colin bit his lip. He had a question he'd been wanting to ask since Harry revealed that those people were just his relatives. He wasn't sure how he'd react but decided to ask anyway.  
"Harry, did your relatives...did they abuse you?" Colin watched as Harry's face flickered from shock to anger to sadness and now to some other emotion Colin couldn't name.  
"They didn't treat me the best but it wasn't abuse," Harry said forcefully. "It wasn't abuse," he repeated.  
Colin touched his arm comfortingly. "Okay, I'm sorry. You're my friend and I don't want anything to happen to you."  
Harry blinked in surprise. "I'm your friend?" No one besides Hermione and Ron had tried to befriend him; at least in a genuine way.  
Colin grinned. "Of course! You're my best friend and my first friend," he turned a bit sheepish. "I've never had a friend before. Everyone thinks I'm a bit annoying," he frowned.  
"I don't think you're annoying," Harry said truthfully.  
Colin smiled brightly. "Thanks Harry!"  
"Boys! Go to sleep!" Mrs. Creevey's voice floated up the stairs.  
"Well, goodnight Harry," Colin bid him and went to the hall to Dennis' room.  
Harry made himself comfortable in the bed. He silently laughed at the memory of Uncle Vernon falling out the window face first on the bars. Serves him right.  
He thought about Colin and Dennis. They were definitely balls of energy, especially Dennis. Harry was very pleased to hear that Colin was going to Hogwarts too; he was even more pleased to find out that he was a Muggleborn. Partly because he didn't recognize Harry and partly because he and Harry had about the same amount of knowledge about the wizarding world. Harry loved Ron, don't get him wrong; but it was great to be able to talk to someone else who didn't forget that he didn't grow up knowing about magic. Hermione was a Muggleborn too but she read many books on magic and also forgot about his upbringing at times.  
Mrs. Creevey was nice as well. Harry had never been offered food before besides the time he'd spent with Hagrid so it had been unexpected.  
The only person he had yet to meet was Mr. Creevey. Harry wondered if he would be as welcoming as his wife.  
Yawning, Harry turned over in the bed, burying his face in the pillow. His eyelids closed and he succumbed to sleep.

 

"Get up!" Dennis demanded the next morning. "Get up, Col!"  
Colin grumbled but made no effort to move. "Denny! I'm comfortable."  
His little brother pouted. "Colinnnnnn."  
The elder boy burrowed deeper into the blankets. "Now I know why mum gave us separate rooms," he muttered.  
Dennis smiled mischievously when his little brain gave him the perfect idea. He jumped on his big brother, giggling madly.  
"Dennis," Colin groaned at the extra weight.  
"Will you get up now?" Dennis smiled cheekily.  
The smile was contagious; Colin tried to hide his but to no avail. "Yes, yes. I'm up."  
"Good. race you!" Dennis hopped off and hurried down to the kitchen.  
'What? No fair!" Laughing, he joined his brother.  
The kitchen smelled lovely; between the vanilla scented candles and the aroma of waffles, it was Heaven to the young boys.  
"Good morning, mum," Dennis greeted Mrs. Creevey who was at the stove, cooking.  
Colin followed right behind him. "Morning Mum."  
"Morning boys," she handed them plates of waffles. "Where's Harry?" she asked.  
"Still sleeping," Dennis said in between bites. "Want me to wake him?"  
Mrs. Creevey poured herself a cup of coffee. "No thank you, dear. He needs his rest."  
"Have you told Dad about Harry, Mum?" Colin poured syrup on his stack of waffles.  
Mrs. Creevey nodded. "He says he can't wait to meet Harry."  
"Who wants to meet me?"  
Harry stood in the doorway awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he apologized quickly.  
"It's alright," Mrs. Creevey was concerned. The boy looked very worried, as if he expected to be hit.  
"Dad wants to meet you," Colin explained. "He should be here soon."  
"Oh," Harry sat in the chair closest to Colin. "Thank you," he added when Mrs. Creevey handed him a plate.  
"Mrs. Creevey," he began but she cut him off.  
"Now, now, none of that. Call me Beth," she instructed warmly.  
"Beth," he tried again. "Do you suppose I could stay for a week? I'll find somewhere else to stay until I go back to school."  
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Beth admonished. Harry's stomach dropped. What would he do now? "You'll stay with us until school."  
Harry gaped at her.  
"I think you broke him," Dennis joked.  
"Is that alright with you?" Beth asked, sipping on her coffee.  
"I appreciate this so much, ma'am," he told her honestly.  
Beth put her hand on his. "It's no trouble." Turning to her sons, she said jokingly, "Why can't you two have manners like Harry?"  
Her sons smiled innocently and shrugged their shoulders. Beth rolled her eyes.  
"Honey, I'm home," a male voice was heard.  
"Dad!"  
"Daddy!"  
Colin and Dennis jumped up from their seats and raced to the living room to see their dad.  
"Hello boys," Robert Creevey gave each of his sons a tight hug. While only an inch taller than his wife, he was the tallest in their little family. His hair was mousy and blonde like his wife and sons. His eyes were brown with wrinkles around them. He was a very happy man just like his children.  
"I hear you both brought someone home last night."  
"Yeah, dad!" Colin said excitedly. "And he's a wizard like me!"  
"Is he now?" Robert smiled.  
"You've to meet him, c'mon," Colin grabbed his dad's hand, dragging him to the kitchen.  
"We saved him from his mean aunt and uncle," Dennis informed him.  
"Did you now?" Robert couldn't help but feel proud of them.  
"That's him dad," Colin jerked his head over in Harry's direction. "That's Harry Potter. He's my new friend."  
Robert extended his hand. "Robert Creevey. Pleasure to meet you."  
Harry shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Creevey."  
Robert waved it off. "Call me Robert."  
Harry nodded.  
Robert took the seat next to Dennis. His wife handed him a cup filled with coffee. "Thank you dear," he kissed her cheek. Dennis made a face at the display of affection. Colin elbowed him gently.  
"So Harry," Robert began, "if I may ask, why did your uncle put bars on your window?"  
Harry replied, "My relatives hate magic and there was a little incident the other night.." he trailed off.  
"An incident?" Robert prompted. Beth raised her eyebrows. Harry hadn't mentioned an incident.  
Harry knew Colin and Dennis were waiting for a response as well.  
"My uncle was hosting a dinner party because his boss and his wife were coming over. He wanted me upstairs out of the way. So I went to my room and there was a house elf on my bed."  
"House elf?" Robert furrowed his brows.  
"A type of servant usually to a pure blood family. Pure bloods have no Muggles in their families," Harry clarified.  
"Ah."  
"Dobby-the house elf-told me not to go back to Hogwarts because it isn't safe. Come to find out he's also the one who stopped my mail from coming through. I didn't listen to him so he ended up going downstairs and he made the cake that my aunt prepared float." The Creevey's exchanged looks. They had a feeling as to where this was going. "He dropped the cake on my uncle's boss's wife." Harry's mouth twitched when Dennis gigged. "My uncle locked up all my school things but I got them out. He put the bars on my window and put a cat flap on my door and I was only let out for chores and the bathroom."  
"How did you eat?" Beth asked horrified.  
"My uncle or aunt would throw cans in through the flap," Harry shrugged as if it was no big deal.  
"And who are your relatives?" Beth asked calmly, almost too calmly.  
"Vernon and Petunia Dursley."  
Beth hummed. "I don't believe I've met them."  
"Be glad you haven't," Harry snorted. He inwardly let out a breath of relief. Petunia would gossip to anyone who would listen about how supposedly horrid and how much of a burden he was to the family; never mind to the fact that he was usually with her when she did so. He'd learned a long time ago to ignore the displeasing looks from strangers.  
The table became quiet. Beth and Robert sipped on coffee while chatting with each other. Dennis finished the last bit of his breakfast and Colin and Harry were engaged in a conversation about the upcoming term.  
"Hoot hoot," an owl pecked at the closed kitchen window. No one noticed it at first. "HOOT HOOT!" Dennis noticed it first.  
"Whoa! Mum! Dad! Look, it's an owl!"  
The owl was white, but not snowy white like Hedwig; it's eyes were yellow and large. One manilla colored letter was tied on its leg.  
Harry untied the letter and stroked the owl's feathers. "Good girl," he murmured. The bird nuzzled against his hand and flew off.  
Harry read his supply list quickly then stood up to clear his plate. "I, er, need to do my school shopping today," he told Beth and Robert awkwardly.  
"Colin needs to as well, I reckon," Robert nodded. "Where's this place at? Dragon Ally?"  
"Diagon Alley," Harry corrected.  
"Ah, yes," Robert finished his coffee. "We'll go after breakfast."  
Colin gasped in delight and hurriedly cleaned his plate off. "C'mon, Den, hurry up," he urged his brother.  
Dennis didn't have to be told twice. He did the same as his brother and ran to his room to change. He could be heard yelling, "We're gonna see magic! We're gonna see magic!"

 

"Wow," Dennis said in awe.  
"Wow is right," Colin's eyes were wide as he took everything in.  
"Amazing, isn't it?" Harry grinned.  
Robert drove the family and Harry to just outside the abandoned pub as instructed. He and his wife elected to wait in the car while the boys shopped. The boys had gone through the Leaky Caldron and let into Digon Alley when a fellow wizard happen to be going in as well.   
"Where do we go first?" Colin had his letter out, looking around for the shops that was listed.  
"Gringotts,' Harry replied, trying to maneuver out of people's way. "It's the wizard bank."  
Colin bit his lip. "What am I to do? I don't have any money and dad can't give me any," he said dejectedly.  
"I'll buy your supplies," Harry said automatically.  
Colin's eyes widened. "Oh, no. I can't let you do that."  
"Why not? I don't mind," Harry insisted. "Besides, you need your supplies."  
"Well," Colin said hesitantly, "I suppose so. But I'll make sure I pay you back," he promised. "I'll go with dad on his milk routes." He nodded vigorously as the idea stuck with him.  
"That won't be necessary," Harry tried to say but the younger lad wasn't listening. Harry eventually gave up and took the Creevey brothers into the bank.  
Dennis ooed and awed at the Goblins, having never seen them before.  
"Hello, Griphook," Harry said pleasantly to the short Goblin.  
"Mr. Potter," Griphook acknowledged. "And who are your friends?" he peered down at them with beady eyes. Harry was vaguely reminded of his Aunt Petunia.  
"This is Colin and Dennis Creevey," he introduced. "Colin's starting Hogwarts this year."  
"I see," Griphook stroked his chin. "Muggleborn, aren't you?" he asked Colin.  
"Yes," Colin responded.  
The Goblin drummed his long fingers together. "You need to exchange some money, I presume?"  
"Actually," Harry cut in, "I'm buying his things. So I'll need extra gallons, please."  
Griphook , from what Colin could tell, didn't appreciate being interrupted. Maybe it was the large crowd or perhaps the time of day, but Colin thought the Goblins looked quite unpleasant. None of them were particularly cheerful to anyone.  
"Of course, Mr. Potter," Griphook said through grit teeth.  
He handed Harry a sack filled with galleons, Sickles and Knuts.  
'Thank you," Harry said politely, shoving the sack in his pocket.  
"Have a wonderful year, Mr. Potter," Griphook bid him with a nasty grin. "You as well, Mr. Creevey." he laughed coldly.  
"I don't like him," Dennis declared once they got outside.  
"No one really does," Harry agreed.  
"Where to next?" Colin bounced excitedly. The hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley thrilled him. It was amazing to watch wizards and witches go about their daily routines just like the Muggles do. It amazed him still that he was one of them.  
"Madam Malkins, flourish and Botts then to Ollivanders for your wand," Harry listed off.  
Colin gave an excited squeal at the word wand. If they'd been talking about anything else, Dennis would've pretended not to have known Colin. But this was magic, so he was allowed to be squealy.  
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions wasn't particularly crowded. Actually, the boys entered the shop in between the rush.  
"Hogwarts, dear?" Madam Malkin asked Colin, looking quite frazzled. Colin nodded. "Go back there," she pointed to the back of the shop, "and I'll be right with you."  
Harry waited with Dennis at the front. Madam Malkin asked Harry if he needed a new set of robes but Harry politely declined. Much to his irritation, he was still short and scrawny; so his robes he'd purchased a year ago still fit him like new.  
Harry paid for them then the boys trotted off to the bookstore.  
"Look at cowd," Dennis said suddenly, pointing to the rather large crowd outside Flourish and Botts. "Is that normal this time of year?"  
"No," Harry decided. "It isn't."  
They got closer to the shop, trying to see what had everyone's attention.  
"Hiya Harry," a familiar Irish voice said from behind them.  
"Hello Seamus," Harry greeted his dormmate. "Having a good holiday?"  
Seamus Finnigan grinned, bobbing his head up and down. "The best! Mum let me ride her old broom a few times and da got us a cat!" His eyes landed on the Creevey brother's. "Hello, I'm Seamus Finnigan."  
"I'm Dennis Creevey, and this is my brother Colin. He's a wizard and he starts Hogwarts this year," Dennis announced proudly.  
Seamus laughed. "Nice to meet you both. I'm in Harry's year. We're dormmates." He smiled wryly at Harry. 'Should've heard me mum when she found out I'm living with the famous Harry Potter."  
Harry groaned a little. "I don't even want to know."  
Seamus laughed again.  
"Say, Seamus," Colin said shyly, "do you know what's with that crowd over there?"  
Seamus stopped laughing and rolled his eyes. "Gildroy Lockhart's in there, real prick, he is."  
"Who's Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry asked, confused.  
"Some author who thinks he's some saint or something," Seamus sighed audibly. "All the ladies fancy him," he made a gagging sound.  
Dennis giggled.  
"I think he's just straight dumb," Seamus declared, he glared at the textbooks in his hands. "All our books are ones he wrote."  
"All of them?" Harry's jaw dropped.  
"All of them," Seamus confirmed. He glanced at his wristwatch. "I better be goin'. Mum'll have a hissy if I'm late. See ya Harry! See ya Colin! Nice meeting ya Dennis!" The Irishman began walking in the opposite direction.  
"Bye Seamus."  
"Bye Seamus!"  
"Bye! Nice to meet you too!"  
The boys continued their journey to the bookstore. They maneuvered out of everyone's way and somehow got inside without a single injury.  
As soon as they got inside, Harry wished they hadn't gone in at all.  
People stared at him and whispered amongst themselves.  
"Can you believe it?"  
"It's the Harry Potter!"  
*Gasp* "Gilderoy Lockhart and Harry Potter!"  
"It's a dream come true."  
Harry cringed at the attention. Colin was glancing at him sympathetically. He wished he could help but he didn't know how.  
Frowning, Dennis pushed past Colin and Harry to stand in front of the crowd, his hands on his little hips.  
"Dennis," Colin whispered frantically, eyes wide in horror. "What are you doing?"  
"Leave my friend alone. He doesn't like the attention," Dennis said with his chin in the air. "Or else."  
"Or else what?" someone in the crowd snorted. "You'll beat us up?"  
"No," Dennis shook his head. "My big brother will!" he pointed to Colin. "Won't you, Col?"  
"Uh," Colin stuttered out. Luckily, he didn't have to answer; unfortunately, the person who saved him was someone they didn't want to meet.  
"My, my," the voice boomed. "Harry Potter." Gilderoy Lockhart gave them his most charming smile and shook Harry's hand.  
"Er, hello," Harry said uncertainly.  
"I see you've heard of me," Lockhart said smugly.  
"No, I actually haven't," Harry said quietly.  
Lockhart's smile faltered but he quickly composed himself. 'Well," he straightened his robes, "no better time to get acquainted then now. Gilderoy Lockhart: Order of Merlin, third class and five time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award." The women in the crowd swooned.  
"Pleasure to meet you," Harry said politely. "These are my friends, Dennis and Colin Creevey." Dennis gave a little wave while Colin just stood off to the side, shyly.  
"Yes well," Gildroy ignored them, "you're going to Hogwarts this year, correct?"  
"Yes," Harry answered cautiously.  
"Then you'll need these," without warning, Lockhart dumped a pile of his books into Harry's arms. The small twelve year old stumbled back from all the weight. "How about a picture?" Lockhart pulled him close. Before anyone could take the picture, however, Harry jerked away.  
"No thank you," he said, annoyed.  
'Harry, Harry," Lockhart said in his irritating voice, "I know why you came in here today."  
"So I could get my books," Harry said exasperatedly.  
Lockhart patted his back and smiled patronizingly. "Or did you come inside just to meet me?"  
"Don't be stupid," Dennis said loudly. Colin smacked his shoulder.  
Harry didn't want to cause a scene so he just took a deep breath. "I just wanted to get my books," he repeated.  
Lockhart laughed. He addressed the crowd, "Harry will be delighted to hear that I will be this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" The crowd applauded. Colin and Harry, however, grimaced.  
The boys were thankful when Lockhart became distracted and seemed to forget about them.  
"Can I look over there?" Dennis pointed over at a display of textbooks on curses.  
"We can all look," Harry said with a friendly smile. "I should look for some more books to read besides this," he grimaced at the stack of books in his arms.  
Dennis nodded. He grabbed Colin's wrist and pulled his big brother toward the display.  
Harry meant to follow them but a snotty voice from behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.  
"Well, well, well. Saint Potter's here, all by himself."  
"Malfoy," Harry said as a way of greeting.  
Draco Malfoy smoothed his robes with his free hand, his other hand was holding a book.  
"Where's the big servant friend of yours?" Malfoy smirked nastily. "Did he finally get fired?"  
Harry gritted his teeth. All he really wanted to do was curse Malfoy into oblivion. "No and I'm not here alone. I'm with friends," he replied coldly.  
Malfoy peered around. "I don't see Weasley or Granger. Did you finally ditch them?"  
"Harry, look at this! Isn't it cool!" Dennis came up beside him. He was holding open a rather thick book. He frowned when Harry didn't reply, just continued to glare.  
"Who are you?" Dennis didn't like the way the blonde was looking at him, almost as if he was x-raying him.  
"Draco Malfoy," the blonde said in an arrogant tone, as if he was supposed to know.  
"I'm Dennis Creevey," he said. "That's my brother Colin. We just found out he's a wizard."  
Malfoy's lip curled up in disgust. He sneered at Harry, "Of course you mix with the likes of them?"  
'Excuse me?" Colin stood next to Harry. "What do you mean the likes of us?"  
"He means because you're a Muggleborn," Harry said quietly.  
Colin's face contorted with confusion. "What does that matter?"  
"Because Malfoy," Harry spat, "thinks he's superior because he's a bloody pure-blood."  
Malfoy smirked, his nose in the air. "That's because I am, Potter. I don't expect you to understand, of course."  
Harry's hands curled into fist. Colin squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.  
"Don't listen to him, Harry," he murmured.  
"Yes, listen to your boyfriend, Potter," Malfoy said mockingly. "Don't listen to me."  
Colin's cheeks went bright pink, though, from anger or embarrassment, Harry wasn't sure.  
"Leave him alone," Harry said harshly, so harshly that Colin jumped. No one had ever defended him like that.  
Malfoy's lip curled in amusement. "Protective, aren't we?"  
Dennis bit his lip. He really didn't want a fight to break out. He pulled on Colin's shirt.  
"Let's get your books," he suggested, avoiding Malfoy's eyes. "Please."  
"I'll be over there," Colin said to Harry before leaving with his brother.  
"Potter didn't say you could go," Malfoy called, sniggering.  
Within a minute second, Harry stormed over and was in Malfoy's face.  
"You will leave Colin alone," he ordered scathingly.  
"And if I don't?" Malfoy challenged smugly.  
Harry resisted the urge to take a swing at his pale, pointed face. He leaned closer, lowering his voice, "I might just have to tell your Slytherin friends how scared you got in the forest last year." This seemed to do the trick; for Malfoy scowled and pushed Harry away before retreating, his robes billowed in the air.  
Harry joined the Creevey brothers as they searched for the last of Colin's books.  
"You didn't have to do that you know," Colin's eyes peered up from his supply list to meet Harry's. "Defend me. It's not the first time I've been picked on."  
"I wanted to," Harry said firmly. "You're my friend and I won't let my friends get bullied by anyone; especially Malfoy."  
Colin couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Thanks Harry," he said sincerely.  
Dennis broke the moment. "When are we going to look at wands?"  
The older boys shared a laugh before carrying their things up to the counter where Harry paid for them. Luckily for them the crowd for Gilderoy Lockhart had trickled out. Though there was still plenty of witches and wizards bustling through the streets of Diagon Alley. Harry and the Creevey's made their way down the street until they reached Ollivanders. Colin was practically skipping, much to Harry's amusement. More than once Dennis had watched his brother and shook his head. Despite this, Harry was sure Dennis would have the same reaction as Colin, if not worse.  
The boys entered the wand shop to find Ollivander with his back to them.  
"Ah, Colin Creevey. I was expecting you," Ollivander said softly.  
Colin, startled, said, "You were...expecting me?"  
Ollivander chuckled and turned around. "I have, Mr. Creevey. Now let's see," he turned back around and went into the back of the store.  
Dennis leaned closer to Harry. "He's weird," he whispered.  
"That he is," Harry said, remembering his own experience.  
"Here we are: Phoenix feather, ten inches," Ollivander handed Colin the wand but immediately took it right back. "No," he frowned. "That's not right."  
This continued for fifteen minutes. Finally, Colin found his wand.  
"Maple, 10 inches," Ollivander said proudly as Colin waved the wand around. Dennis watched him jealously, Harry noticed.  
"Hey Dennis," he said to the younger boy, "I have Hogwarts A History in my trunk, want to read it later?"  
Dennis nodded enthusiastically.  
"Brilliant," he said with a smile.  
The trio left the wand shop and headed back to the car; though, not before Harry bought them all, Robert and Beth included, ice creams from Florean Fortescue's. Dennis had been particularly pleased when he was told by Harry he could pick four scoops.  
Afterwards, the Creevey's and Harry arrived back home with the children telling their parents everything they saw. Despite the Lockhart and Malfoy situation, it had been the best day Harry had ever had.  
How was that? I'm not too pleased with how it came out but next chapter will be better! I've skipped it over to September first so we'll get some Hogwarts action!


	3. Chapter 3

September first came entirely too fast for Harry and the Creevey boys.  
They'd stayed up late the night before, exchanging stories and eating plenty of ice cream. Harry had such a good time at the Creevey household he was sorry to leave. He and Colin spent the morning packing with Dennis sitting on the bed, watching them.  
"Do you reckon I'll be allowed to have my camera?" Colin asked, anxious at the thought of having to leave his beloved camera behind.  
"I don't see why you couldn't," Harry smiled reassuringly. "Just don't carry it to Snape's class. He'll confiscate it."  
"What class does he teach again?" Colin struggled to push his trunk lid down.  
"Potions," Harry sat on the trunk while Colin locked it. "Don't take it to McGonagall's either, she teaches Transfigurations."  
Colin nodded with a solemn expression.  
"You lads ready to go?" Robert was at the door.  
"Yes dad/Robert," the kids answered in unison.  
The car ride went by fast. Dennis, Harry and Colin discussed the upcoming year, Dennis put forth his information he'd learned about from reading Hogwarts A History. Beth was on edge about her baby leaving home, and Harry as well, she fretted over them the whole morning. It was a bit uncomfortable for Harry, who never had anyone feel worried for him.  
They arrived at King's Cross Station exactly ten minutes before eleven. Beth and Robert were utterly perplexed when their son told them they needed to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.  
"Nine and Three Quarters?" Robert repeated slowly. After making sure no one heard him, he said, "Are you sure that isn't a mistake?"  
"No," Harry shook his head. "I know where it is, follow me, please." He led them to the same spot where he'd met the Weasley's a year before. "When no one's looking, run right to that wall." Needless to say, the Creevey's weren't any less confused.  
"But I'll run right into it," Colin exclaimed quietly.  
"No you won't," Harry chuckled lightly. He'd thought the same thing. "Okay, go!" he urged when the coast was clear.  
Colin sucked in a breath, closed his eyes and pushed his trolley forward. When he reopened them he gasped in amazement. In front of him was a very large train labed the Hogwarts Express. He quickly snapped a photo of the sign and the train.  
Seconds later, his parents, Dennis and Harry came through. Dennis looked excited while his parents were a bit weary.  
"Wasn't that fun, mum? Dad?" Dennis jumped up and down.  
"It was something alright," Robert muttered.  
"Let's go put our trunks up," Harry showed them where to go. Robert helped both Harry and Colin with their trunks. The train gave off a sound, signaling that it was to leave in five minutes.  
"I'm going to miss you so much," Beth hugged Colin fiercely, tears stinging her eyes.  
"Mummm," Colin coughed, "can't breath."  
'Sorry," Beth let go. Much to Harry's surprise, she pulled him into a hug as well.  
"If you ever need us just write," she ordered, smiling warmly.  
"Okay," he agreed, feeling heat rush to his cheeks when Robert ruffled his hair.  
Dennis wasn't any better than his mother; he hugged his brother and Harry, burying his face in their chest, or, in Harry's case, stomach.  
"I'll miss you lots," he sniffled.  
Colin found it much harder to say goodbye to his brother than his parents. He blinked back the tears. "I'll miss you too, Denny."  
Even Harry felt sorry that Dennis wasn't coming along with. He had sort of become his little brother over the course of a month. "Me too," he added.  
The train's whistle blew again; it was time to go. Harry and Colin bid them goodbye one last time and hopped on the train. They found an empty compartment in the back and settled themselves in.  
'Harry, I'm nervous," Colin piped up, biting his lip.  
"It's okay to be nervous," Harry replied gently. "I was nervous."  
"You were?" Colin said, incredulous that Harry would be nervous for anything.  
'I was," he confirmed. "I thought Professor McGonagall would tell me I really didn't have magic and send me back to the Dursleys."  
Colin raised an eyebrow. "Pessimist much?"  
"Oh shush it," Harry laughed.  
The two boys joked around for a few minutes before the compartment door slid open. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley stepped in.  
"Harry!" Hermione threw herself in his arms, hugging him tight. She pulled back, studying his face. "We wrote to you all summer, why didn't you write back?"  
"Some house elf was stopping my mail," Harry said gruffly.  
Ron stared at him oddly. "You have the worst luck, mate."  
"Really? I hadn't noticed," Harry said sarcastically.  
Ron didn't notice his friend's sarcasm so he opened his mouth to explain that yes, he did have the worst luck but stopped when he noticed a small boy with mousy hair sitting across from Harry. "Who's that?"  
The small boy piped up. "I'm Colin Creevey, Harry's friend. I'm starting Hogwarts this year."  
Bemused, Ron said, "You never mentioned him before."  
"That's because we just met this summer," Harry explained.  
Hermione smiled pleasantly. "Hello. I'm Hermione Granger," she extended her hand to which Colin took it.  
"Nice to meet you!" he beamed. He extended his hand for Ron but the redhead just frowned. Colin's smile faltered a bit. What did he do wrong?  
"Ronald!" Hermione hissed.  
"What?" Ron exclaimed. "Just because he's Harry's friend doesn't mean we have to be friends as well!"  
Colin smiled awkwardly and turned to look out the window. Harry felt his temper flair. Okay, so Ron didn't have to be best mates with Colin, but he could at least be civil. He was about to say just that but didn't have to; Hermione rounded up on him instead.  
"Ronald Weasley," she said, her voice dangerously low. "How could you say such a thing? You see how you made Colin feel?" she jerked her hand in the small boy's direction.  
Ron halfway shrugged. Hermione's lecture only made him feel a little bit guilty. He was a bit jealous if he was being honest.  
"How did you two meet?" Ron asked, avoiding Hermione's piercing glare.  
Colin brightened up. Maybe Ron liked him after all! "Me and my brother Dennis rescued him from his relatives," he responded.  
Ron rolled his eyes. "I was talking to Harry."  
"Oh," Colin blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry."  
Hermione elbowed Ron's side rather hard. "What do you mean you rescued him?" she inquired.  
Colin glanced at Harry for permission to tell them. Harry smiled and nodded swiftly. Truthfully, the small action meant a lot to Harry. It was nice to have someone who respected him like that.  
"His relatives put bars on his windows," Colin informed them.  
"What?" Hermione and Ron cried.  
"Why didn't you send me an owl? I would've come for you," Ron questioned, feeling a little hurt.  
"I couldn't very well do that with the bars on the window," Harry pointed out.  
"That is deplorable," Hermione gasped.  
"I wouldn't have gotten out of there if it hadn't been for Colin's accidental magic," Harry said with a grin. "The bars slid right off."  
Hermione was impressed. "That takes a great deal of magic to accomplish such a thing."  
Colin flushed.  
"Best of all," Harry snorted, "my uncle fell out the window face first on the bars."  
Ron roared with laughter. Hermione pursed her lips but Harry could see her lips twitching into a smile.  
"Boys," she sighed. "What house do you suppose you'll be in?" she tried to make pleasant conversation with Colin. Her eyes were on Ron as if daring him to open his mouth.  
"Oh, I dunno," Colin said shyly. "You're in Gryffindor, right Harry? I'd like to be in the same house as you."  
"Fanboy," Ron coughed. He ignored the glares that Hermione and Harry sent his way.  
"What?" Colin blushed. "Oh, no. I just want to be with my friend..." He nervously fiddled with his camera strap.  
"Better watch out or he'll start taking pictures of you, Harry," Ron muttered. Colin blushed bright red.  
"I wouldn't...I know he doesn't fancy his picture being taken."  
"It's alright, Colin," Harry interjected. "Ignore Ron," he sent a dirty look in the redhead's direction. Ron sent one right back at him.  
"Did any of you notice Gilroy Lockhart is going to be our defense professor this year?" Hermione tried to break the awkward silence, while smiling excitedly.  
Harry was less then excited. "And you're happy about it?" he asked incredulously. "He's a complete prat."  
Ron, forgetting his anger with Harry, nodded vigorously in agreement.  
"He is not," Hermione protested shrilly.  
Colin squirmed in his seat. 'Well, Hermione, he was a bit of a ditz. He thought Harry-"  
"You've met him?" Hermione gasped.  
"Unfortunately," Harry grumbled. "He was at Flourish and Botts for a book signing."  
Hermione looked as though her heart had dropped and broken. "Oh, lucky, you are! I would've given anything to meet him!"  
"And I would've given anything not to meet him," Harry said under his breath.  
Colin stifled a laugh. Even though Ron didn't seem to like him, he was thoroughly enjoying the time with the trio. His thoughts wandered to Hogwarts and what house he'd be in. he wasn't particularly smart or studious so that took out Ravenclaw. He supposed he was brave and at times reckless but he couldn't see himself as a Gryffindor. People like Harry got into Gryffindor, not small, squeaky Colin Creevey. Perhaps Hufflepuff would be best; he was loyal and hardworking, his mum said so. But what if he got into Slytherin? He paled at thought. Sure he wasn't overly cunning or ambitious but he could be sneaky and mischievous. But what if that became his house? Would Harry hate him? Would he-  
'Colin!"  
"Huh?" Harry's voice jarred him from his thoughts.  
"Are you okay? You're awfully pale," he sounded concerned. Hermione was frowning at him and even Ron's curiosity was piqued.  
"it's nothing," Colin denied. He hated lying to Harry, he was, after all, his first friend; but he couldn't tell him.  
"Colin," Harry said with more force, "what's wrong?"  
The younger wizard bit his lip. "Er, you'll hate me."  
Harry blinked, puzzled. "Why would I hate you?"  
"What if I get into Slytherin?" Colin couldn't even look at his face, couldn't face the disappointment.  
"Is that what you're worried about?" Harry said gently. The tiny first year nodded. "You have nothing to be worried about."  
"Really?" Colin said skeptically.  
"Harry's right," Hermione chimed in.  
"But you said the bad people go to Slytherin," Colin pointed out.  
"'Cause they do," Ron yelped when Hermione jammed her elbow in his side.  
"I don't want to be in the same house as Malfoy," Colin said distressed.  
"Colin," Harry grabbed his shoulders, staring into his brown eyes, "yes, the majority of bad people go to Slytherin but you are not a bad person. If you happen to go to Slytherin then so be it. I will be your friend regardless."  
"Me too,' Hermione smiled warmly.  
They waited for Ron to agree but he just sat there until Hermione elbowed him again. "Oh, yeah, me too."  
The mousy boy was still doubtful. "Everyone will hate me, won't they?"  
Harry couldn't answer. The silence was enough of an answer to Colin. He hung his head dejectedly.  
"But," Harry brought his chin up, "who says you'll be in Slytherin? I bet you'll be a Gryffindor, like us," he motioned to himself, Ron and Hermione.  
Colin shook his head. "I'm not brave enough for that."  
"I didn't think I was brave enough either," Harry mused. "And who knows? You may surprise yourself." Harry sat back down, smiling knowingly.  
The rest of the train ride passed quickly. Hermione nagged Ron about his study habits while Harry was engaged in a conversation about photography with Colin. Soon it was time for them to change into their uniforms, per Hermione.  
The train finally arrived at Hogwarts. Colin stared out the window in amazement. The castle was huge! It reminded him of some medieval show he saw on TV once.  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Hermione stood next to him, smiling.  
"Yes," he breathed.  
"Don't forget to follow Hagrid to the boats," Harry reminded Colin as they hopped off the train.  
Colin furrowed his brows. "But I haven't met Hagrid, yet. I don't know what he looks like."  
"You can't miss him," Ron sniggered.  
"There," Harry pointed to a very large man. Colin gaped. "That's him? He must be giant!"  
"Half-giant," Harry corrected. He stifled a laugh when Colin was reluctant to move from his spot. "Go on, he won't bite you."  
Colin, with the tiniest steps, began walking. He approached Hagrid carefully.  
"Hello." The half-giant peered down at him. "You're Hagrid, correct?"  
"I am," Hagrid beamed.  
"You're really big, Harry didn't tell me you're a giant," Colin rambled.  
Hagrid chuckled. "You know 'arry, ay?"  
"Oh, yes!" Colin beamed. "He's my best friend! I met him this summer."  
"Good lad, he is," Hagrid mused then snapped back to his duty. He beckoned Colin to one of the boats. "Might want ter get in. We be goin' soon."  
Colin sat in one of the boats, staring at all around him with wonder. He snapped several photos with the intent of mailing them to Dennis.  
Dennis.  
He would've loved to ride on the train, to meet Hagrid and ride on a boat to a castle. Colin made a mental note to ensure that his first letter would be greatly detailed for Dennis' enjoyment.  
"May I sit here?" A redheaded girl asked. She stepped in when Colin nodded.  
"I'm Colin Creevey," he introduced himself. 'And you are?"  
"Ginny Weasley." Colin decided he rather liked her already. Her smile was kind and pretty.  
"Weasley? Are you related to Ron?" he asked with interest.  
"Yes," her expression was undecided, as if she didn't know whether to be pleased or displeased about the question. "He's my older brother, well, one of them. I have six older brothers."  
"Six?" Colin couldn't imagine that many siblings. Dennis was enough, especially when he was in his hyper mode.  
"Yes," Ginny sighed heavily, as though it was a great burden. "I love them, my brothers. But they're a bit overprotective, you know?"  
Colin nodded even though no, he didn't know.  
"I hope I'm in Gryffindor," Ginny continued. "That's where all my family's been. What about you?"  
Colin hesitated. He hoped she didn't have the same reaction that Malfoy did about him being a Muggle-born; or Ron's reaction about him in general. She seemed nice though, he reasoned. Maybe she was okay.  
"I'm a Muggle-born so I don't know what house I'll be in," he admitted. "Harry reckons I'll be a Gryffindor, though I doubt it. I'm not that brave."  
"Harry?" Ginny's face scrunched up. "Do you mean Harry Potter?" she looked excited.  
"Yes," he said slowly. Should he have said that? He wondered. Harry, from the looks of it, hated attention, and this girl seemed to be one that would gladly give him attention.  
Ginny's jaw dropped. "How do you know Harry?" she questioned eagerly.  
"We're off," Hagrid yelled and the boats began moving.  
Colin looked around, bit his lip and pleaded, "Don't be loud, please. I don't want to anger him."  
Ginny nodded seriously.  
"I met him this summer. He spent half the holiday with my family," Colin only decided to spill selective portions of the story. Harry probably wouldn't want everyone to know his business; Colin knew he wouldn't.  
"You're so lucky," Ginny said in awe.  
Colin shrugged. "I suppose."  
Ginny's eyebrows flew up. "You suppose? He's famous, you know?"  
"I know," Colin fidgeted with his camera. Much to his relief, Ginny's babbling about Harry ceased.  
"Is that a Muggle camera?" she questioned, eyeing his camera oddly.  
He grinned proudly. "Yes! My dad gave it to be when I was eight."  
"Is it true that Muggle photos don't move?" the boat stopped abruptly, causing Ginny to almost fall out had it not been for Colin grabbing her hand. "Thank you," a blush crept up her cheeks. Using the manners his mother taught him, Colin stepped out of the boat, extending his hand for Ginny and helped out of the boat. They followed the crowd of first years up to the castle.  
"Yes," he replied.  
Ginny was absolutely bewildered. "I've never heard of such a thing."  
The first years were escorted to the entrance hall where they were instructed to wait until further notice. Colin's heart was beating rapidly in his chest; he was sure Ginny could hear it. His brain fuzzed as he tried to remember what Professor McGonagall and Harry told him about the sorting.  
"My brother's told me it's a test," Ginny informed him, looking quite nervous.  
'A test?" Colin's stomach dropped. Harry didn't mention a test!  
"Yes," Ginny nodded. 'In front of the whole school."  
"Oh, no," Colin moaned. When he attended muggle school, he'd never done well doing things in front of others.  
Suddenly, a loud banging noise was heard from behind them. Some of the first years shrieked. Ginny and Colin whorled around and were startled to find a little man floating in the air.  
"Ooo! Ickle firsties!" the little man cackled while juggling several water balloons.  
'That's Peeves," Ginny whispered in Colin's ear. "He's the poltergeist."  
Colin eyed Peeves warily. "I don't think he likes us."  
"He's rude to everyone," Ginny waved his claim off dismissively.  
"Cannon ball!" Peeves hollered. He began throwing the water balloons everywhere. Many of the first years shirked again and tried to avoid the balloons.  
No one noticed the bigs doors opening nor Professor McGonagall appearing.  
"Peeves!" she barked. "Out! NOW!"  
The balloon assault ceased and Peeves floated away, sulking.  
"Well," Professor McGonagall said in her Scottish brogue, "I see that you have already met Peeves. You will meet the other ghost shortly."  
"Other ghost?" Colin gasped. Ginny shushed him.  
"In a few moments you will be sorted into your houses," Professor McGonagall continued, "the four houses are called Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Your house will be your family. You will earn points for your house but any displeasing behaviors will lose you points. At the end of the year the house with the most points wins the House Cup. I wish you each good luck. Follow me."  
Colin looked around in awe as they were lead into a very large hall where everyone was seated at a long table. As they neared the front, Colin passed Harry, Ron and Hermione who were sitting in the table closest to his right. Harry gave him a thumbs up, a gesture which he returned.  
Professor McGonagall stood next to a stool with a hat on it. She commanded in a loud voice, "When I call your name come up to the stool where you will be sorted."  
"Fred and George lied," Ginny grumbled under her breath. Colin let out a breath of relief. He much rather let a hat choose then a test.  
"Robins, Demelza."  
A small girl with dark hair made her way up with shaky legs.  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
The Gryffindor table burst into applause. Demelza joined them moments later.  
"Gray, Fanella."  
Fanella took a deep breath and walked up to the stool, almost tripping in the process.  
"SLYTHERIN!"  
The Slytherin table clapped, but in a much more dignified manner. They looked every bit of unpleasant as Colin thought they would.  
"Creevey, Colin."  
That's me! Colin exchanged glances with Ginny before going up. His stomach was doing flip flops. He was sure he was going to be sick.  
"A Muggle-born, eh?" said a small voice. It startled him. "First of your year."  
Who are you? Colin thought.  
The voice chuckled. "Why, I'm the Sorting Hat."  
It talks! Colin couldn't wait to tell Dennis about the talking hat!  
"Yes, yes. But where to put you?" The Hat hummed.  
Not Slytherin, please!   
"Not to worry, you aren't a Slytherin from what I can see," The Hat assured. 'You're very loyal; smart but not studious. You've got plenty of courage. Yes, yes. I know exactly where you belong."  
Where?  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
Colin could only blink in astoundment. He, Colin Creevey, made it into Gryffindor? Oh, Harry would be proud! He quickly took the hat off and trotted off to the table where he sat next to Harry.  
"I did it!" he cried happily. Harry hugged him, clapping him on the back.  
"I told you that you would surprise yourself," Harry grinned.  
Ron and two redhead twins-perhaps they were Fred and George, Colin supposed-clapped loudly when Ginny joined the table. She was embarrassed but pleased.  
"Well done, Ginny," another redheaded boy told her pompously. He wore a badge that said Prefect on it.  
"Yes, Ginny, well done," one of the twins mocked.  
"Simply stunning," the other added.  
Ginny blushed a bright red that matched her hair.  
"Isn't this great, Ginny?" Colin said excitedly. "Us being in the same house?"  
Before she could reply, the twins turned to face him with identical grins.  
"Hello-" Colin started but was cut off when one of the twins grabbed his arm and shook it roughly.  
"Hello-" one began.  
"Ickle firstie-" the other said.  
"We're-"  
"Fred-"  
"And George-"  
"Weasley," they finished.  
"I'm Colin Creevey," Colin said shyly.  
"We know," they sniggered.  
Colin blushed.  
"Oi, leave him alone, you two," Ron rolled his eyes.  
Colin looked at Ron with surprise. Evidently, he wasn't the only one. Harry and Hermione glanced at him suspiciously.  
The twins didn't notice-they were too busy rounding up on him.  
"Awe, ickle Ronniekins is defending his friend."  
"How come he never defends us, Gred?"  
'I don't know, Forge. I'm rather offended, aren't you?"  
"I certainly am!"  
The twins continued to hound Ron and Percy-the prefect, as Colin learned-tried his best to stop them with threats to Professor McGonagall; not that this did any good.  
Colin leaned close to Harry and whispered, "Are they always like that?"  
Harry rolled his eyes, grinning. "They can be worse. They're pranksters and if they or their friend Lee Jordan ever give you anything, don't take it."  
From across the table, Hermione tutted disapprovingly. "Honestly," she muttered, shaking her head.  
"They're as bad as Peeves," Ron had managed to get away from his brothers' teasing. He sat next to Hermione, impatiently awaiting food.  
Colin shivered at the mention of the poltergeist.  
"I see you've met Peeves," Harry said amused.  
"He dropped water balloons on us," Colin whined.  
Ron and Harry snickered at his misfortune, only stopping when Hermione glared at them; well, Harry did anyway.  
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.  
Colin waved the apology off. He wasn't offended.  
An old man Colin recognized as Professor Dumbledore from his History of Magic book, stood up and said, "Before we begin our feast I'd like to say a few words as I do every year: Nitwit! Blubber! Odment! Tweak! Thank you!" Suddenly food appeared all along the tables.  
Colin stared at the Headmaster then at everyone else who hungrily grabbed various foods. He nudged Harry. "He sounds mad," he said quietly so no one could hear him.  
Harry laughed. "I thought the same thing. Pumpkin juice, Col?"  
The rest of the feast went by splendidly. Ron was astounded to learn that Colin didn't know what Quidditch was so he spent the rest of the time explaining it. Afterwards, they headed up to the Gryffindor Tower where everyone settled in their dorms. Colin was hesitant about sharing a room with four other boys that he barely knew. He became comfortable only after Harry reminded him that he was only a few doors down. The boys hugged and Colin fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I'm not sure why it says this is completed because it certainly isn't. So just ignore it please. I'm not sure how to undo that.

Colin woke up early the next morning. He couldn’t wait to owl Dennis! Harry had told him he could use Hedwig since he didn’t have an owl of his own. Hurriedly, he dressed and sprinted to the Common Room. It was pretty early, so there weren’t many people awake. Hermione was, though. She was in one of the big plush chairs reading a rather large book.  
“Good morning,” she greeted, not looking up from her book.  
“Good morning, Hermione!” he beamed. “Is Harry or Ron up yet?”  
“Not yet,” she replied, snapping her book shut. “They should be, shortly. Ah, Neville!” she spotted a round faced boy coming down the stairs.  
“Hello Hermione,” Neville said shyly.  
“Are the boys up yet?” she asked.  
He shook his head. “Not yet.”  
She smiled kindly. ‘Would you be kind and go wake them, please?”  
He stared at her horrified. “I can’t! They’ll clobber me!”  
Colin stifled a laugh. The boy was pretty tall, well, at least to him he was, and here he was worried about people shorter than him attacking him.  
“No they won’t,” Hermione assured. “If they do, tell me and I’ll tell Professor McGonagall.”  
“Tell Professor McGonagall, what?” Seamus Finnigan descended down the stairs, yawning.  
Neville breathed a sigh of relief.  
“Good, you’re up,’ Hermione nodded approvingly. “Are Harry and Ron up, as well?”  
“Gettin’ there,” Seamus yawned again. “Hello Colin,” he said when he noticed the mousy boy’s presence.  
“Hello Seamus!” Colin beamed. “Did you sleep alright?”  
The Irishman shrugged. “Would've been better if Ron didn’t try to inhale the drapes with his snoring.”  
Colin giggled.  
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Colin, this is Neville Longbottom,” she introduced him to the round faced boy. “Neville, this is Colin Creevey. He’s a first year.”  
“Hello Neville!” Colin grinned, extending his hand. Much to his happiness, Neville shook it.  
“Morning,” Ron and Harry came down, both looking extraordinarily tired.  
“Morning Harry! Ron!” Colin adjusted the camera around his neck.  
“Is Dean up?” Seamus asked, tying his shoe.  
“Yeah. He’s in the loo, showering,” Harry answered.  
“Should we wait for him?” Colin asked the older students. It was the polite thing to do, after all.  
“No,” the second year boys shook their head. “Dean takes too bloody long,” Seamus added.  
“And I’m hungry,” Ron complained.  
The boys laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”  
They exited the Common Room and made their way down the stairs. Neville had to be helped a few times because he nearly tripped.  
Once they arrived in the Great Hall, Ron promptly piled his plate with food. Hermione wrinkled her nose.  
“Have you no manners? Save some for the rest of us!”  
Ron’s ears tinged pink as Harry and Seamus snickered.  
“Sod off,” he said sourly.  
This didn’t bother Hermione, not in the slightest. She huffed with her nose in the air and turned her attention to something other then Ronald Weasley.  
“Harry,” Colin said, trying to lighten the mood, “you play Quidditch, don’t you? I’d love to see you practice, if you don’t mind.”  
Harry grinned at the mention of his favorite sport. “Of course, I don’t mind. I’ll ask Wood when practices are.”  
Colin guessed Wood was the captain or something.  
“I don’t know how you play, Harry,” Neville said, grimacing. “I’d rather keep my feet on the ground.”  
“But thanks to your faulty broom, Harry’s the youngest seeker in a century,” Seamus piped up, taking a bite of his buttered toast.  
“What’s a seeker?” Colin asked, confused.  
“Someone who catches the snitch,” Seamus half explained.  
“Oh, okay,” Colin, still confused, nodded anyway.  
“Good morning,” Professor McGonagall said briskly, coming up to the table. She handed out timetables. “Mr. Creevey, this has your classes and times on it. Don’t lose it.”  
“Oh, c’mon,” Seamus groaned after reading his. “Double Defense? Really?”  
“We could at least have a competent teacher,” Ron grumbled.  
Professor McGonagall peered at him disapprovingly over her spectacles. “Now, none of that, Mr. Weasley. I expect you to treat your professors with respect.”  
“But Professor,” Ron protested, “Lockhart is a dolt.”  
Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to scold him but a rather annoying voice interrupted. “Is someone talking about me?”  
The whole table, sans Hermione, groaned. Even Professor McGonagall looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.  
“Hello children,” Gilderoy Lockhart greeted.  
“Hello Professor!” Hermione replied enthusiastically.  
“Good morning, Miss. Granger,” Lockhart smiled charmingly. Hermione looked like she wanted to faint. “Good morning, Professor McGonagall.”  
“Professor Lockhart,” McGonagall said stiffly. She tidied the stack of timestbles in her hands. ‘Well, I best be moving. I must deliver these to the rest of the students.” She tried to leave but Lockhart stopped her.  
“Minerva-” he began.  
“Professor McGonagall,” she corrected with pursed lips.  
“Yes, yes. I could help you deliver those.”  
“No thank you,” she said coldly. “I have it myself.” She pushed passed him, her robes billowing behind her.  
Lockhart turned back to the table where Ron, Seamus and Harry were smirking at him. Colin bit his cheek, trying desperately to suppress his laughter.  
‘Why weren’t you at the feast last night, professor?” Hermione tried to smooth things over, glaring at the boys for their improper behavior.  
Lockhart sighed as if dealing with a great burden. “My publishers owled me that I just needed to finish my new book last night. I said that I was needed at the feast but they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”  
Hermione gasped. “You wrote another book?”  
The boys paled. He wrote another book...?  
Lockhart adjusted his flamboyant robes. “Indeed I have.”  
Hermione clapped her hands together. “Oh, that’s brilliant, Professor Lockhart!”  
Seamus leaned close to Colin and whispered in his ear mockingly, “Oh, lick my shoes, Professor Lockhart!”  
Tears of mirth brimmed in Colin’s eyes. A snort of laughter escaped him.  
Lockhart eyed him. ‘Something funny, Mr...?”  
Colin straightened up. “Creevey, sir,” he coughed, trying to rid the bubbles of laughter in his throat. “Colin Creevey. We met at Flourish and Botts.”  
It was blatantly obvious that Professor Lockhart had forgotten their meeting. Harry smirked. Maybe now Hermione would see what a prat he was.  
The golden haired man snapped his fingers. “Ah, yes! You and your brother. What was his name? Duncan?”  
“Dennis,” Colin said flatly.  
“Yes, yes. Quite right.”  
Harry had enough of listening to him. He rolled his eyes and motioned for the others to follow him. “We should get going.”  
“Oh, don’t let me stop you!” Lockhart said loudly, attracting the attention of other students. “But would you lads, and lady,” he winked at Hermione who blushed, “like to hear of my escape from the Transmogrifian Torture curse? It’s quite a tale.”  
“No,” Harry replied forcefully. He grabbed his timetable and forced his way through the crowd. Seamus, Neville, Ron and Colin followed him.  
HPHPHP

Harry had taken time to show Colin around the castle before classes started; something that Colin was most thankful for. He’d been worried about getting lost.  
Ten minutes before potions began reminded him that he still had his camera around his neck.  
“Oh, Harry!” he said worryingly. “I still have my camera with me! Oh, what am I to do? I don’t want Professor Snape to take it.”  
Without hesitation, Harry said, “Give it to me. I’ll hold onto it until lunch.”  
A smile broke out on Colin’s face. “You mean it, Harry? You won’t get in trouble, will you?” he asked as an afterthought.  
“Of course not,” Harry assured, taking the contraption and hanging it around his own neck. “Professor Sprout won’t mind at all.”  
Harry offered to walk the mousy boy to Potions, which he accepted.  
“Harry,” Colin said anxiously, “is Professor Snape as bad as everyone says?”  
They were right outside the classroom, and Harry was sure Snape heard exactly what he said. “Yes,” he said finally. “He favors the Slytherin’s and hates everyone else.” Especially me, he added in his head.  
The poor boy looked severely distraught.  
“But,” Harry said quickly, “as long as you do your work and stay out of his way you’ll be fine.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t exactly truthful either.  
“Okay,” Colin said slowly. Maybe Harry was right.  
________________________________________  
It was only two minutes into Potions that Colin learned Professor Snape wasn’t bad.  
He was downright scary.  
“Well?” Snape snapped as Colin slumped in his chair, painfully aware of everyone’s attention on him.  
“I-I-I,” he stammered. “I don’t know, Professor.” Right as class started, Professor Snape asked what was the first ingredient in Vetistrium. When none of Ravenclaws were able to answer, he rounded on the Gryffindors.  
Guess who he rounded on first.  
“You don’t know?” Professor Snape sneered.  
“No, P-Professor,” Colin stuttered. His cheeks turned bright red when he noticed everyone’s eyes were on him.  
Professor Snape’s eyes hardened. “I expect more from you in the future, Mr. Creevey,” he said coldly. “Ten points from Gryffindor.”  
Colin groaned, burying his face in his hands when a few of his housemates glared at him.  
“Thanks a lot, Creevey,” one of them hissed after class.  
“Lay off, Alife!” a girl snapped. “Like you knew the answer.”  
Alfie scowled and sulked away.  
Colin’s stomach churned. His first class and he already lost his house points. He hoped Harry wouldn’t be too disappointed in him; he probably didn’t lose any yet.  
“You shouldn’t let Professor Snape get to you.”  
Colin gasped whirled around to see a girl with dirty blonde hair. She was a Ravenclaw, he noticed.  
“He despises everyone,” the girl continued.  
“U-uh, yeah. So I’ve heard,” Colin said, feeling shy.  
‘Do you have a stuttering problem?” the girl was looking at him with concern. Her blue eyes seemed to x-ray him.  
“Er, no,” he laughed nervously. “I’m just nervous, that’s all.”  
She stared at him, without blinking. It unnerved him greatly.  
“There are a lot of Nargles floating around your head. You won’t be so nervous if you clear them,” she told him matter-of-factly.  
“What?” Colin waved his hands around crazily. Perhaps Nargle was a giant bug.  
She laughed lightly. “Silly, they can’t harm you.”  
Phew.  
“They can’t?” Colin asked, feeling stupid.  
‘No,” she told him simply. She turned on her heels and called over her shoulder, “Goodbye Colin Creevey.”  
“Wait!” he called back. “I didn’t get your name!”


	5. Chapter 5

Colin Creevey was sleeping peacefully in his bed, at least until Harry shook his violently.  
'Whaa-what's wrong?" Colin jumped half a foot, his eyes darting around the dorm. His gaze flickered to the window where he saw the sky was just rising in the sky. "What time is it?"  
"Dawn," Harry said in an apologetic tone. "It's our first practice of the year and I remembered you wanted to watch," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, never mind. I'll let you sleep," he said hastily.  
"No, no. I'm awake now," Colin hopped out of bed and began to look to look for his uniform. Harry excused himself and said he'd be down in the common room, waiting.  
Colin was putting on his pants when he heard a voice from behind him. "What are you doing up too early?" one of his dormmates asked sleepily.  
"Going to watch Harry practice Quidditch," Colin replied excitedly.  
"Lucky," his dorm mate muttered jealously before rolling back over.  
Colin joined Harry downstairs and they ventured off to the Quidditch field. The aroma of breakfast being prepared met their nostrils. Harry's stomach grumbled hungrily.  
"Do you want any breakfast? I can get you some if you're still practicing," Colin offered.  
Harry shook his head. "No thanks. Wood would have a fit if anyone ate while they should be practicing."  
Colin frowned. "Seems a bit strict, Wood does."  
"He's a bit of fanatic," Harry rolled his eyes.  
"Harry!" Oliver Wood barked when they arrived. "What took you so long?"  
"Told you," Harry said under his breath to Colin before answering, "Sorry, Oliver. Won't happen again."  
Oliver eyed Colin with narrowed eyes. "Who's he? Not a spy for the Slytherin's, is he? And what's that?" he added at the sight of the camera.  
Colin held his camera protectively. "My camera. I wanted a few pictures of Harry practicing."  
"Why?" Oliver demanded, towering over the tiny first year.  
"Oi, Oliver," Fred and George appeared at his sides, wearing identical grins.  
"He's not a spy, Ollie-"  
"He's just a first year-"  
"Who is friends with our dear Harrykins!" they finished.  
"Oh," Wood flushed. 'Sorry about that."  
"That's okay," Colin waved it off.  
"Er, I guess you can sit in the stands and watch," Harry said, pointing.  
"Okay!" cheerfully, Colin trotted off. He sat down eagerly. He listened attentively as Wood launched into a speech about new tactics for the season. A few of the very sleepy players had almost fallen asleep, or, in Fred Weasley's case (he'd finally learned how to tell the twins apart) pretended to have fallen asleep on some girl's shoulder.  
"Stop that!" Wood snapped. "This is serious!"  
His outburst awoke the players-Harry included.  
'Calm down, Olliekins," George told Wood who was biting his nails nervously. "We'll be okay."  
"We have a little over two months until our first game. A little over two months to be the best so we win. Don't tell me to calm down!" Wood yelled, his eye twitching.  
Colin stealthily took a picture of Wood before his face changed. He was sure Harry and the twins would have a laugh about that later.  
"Oliver," Harry, always the peacemaker, tried to intervene. "We won last year, didn't we? We'll be okay. The Slytherin's have no chance."  
"That's what you think, Potter."  
The Gryffindor team and Colin turned to see the Slytherin team making its way across the field with smirks on their ghastly faces.  
"What do you want, Flint?" Wood said brusquely. "I booked the field for today."  
Flint, who, to Colin, resembled a troll, grinned wryly. "Professor Snape gave us special permission."  
"Why would he do that?" Fred demanded.  
"We needed to train our new seeker," Flint answered smoothly.  
"Who's your new seeker?" Wood asked with a trembling voice.  
A pale blonde boy stepped out from behind Flint. His smirk was familiar to Colin. What was his name?  
"Malfoy?" Harry said with shock. "You're their new seeker?"  
Malfoy smiled haughtily. "That's right, Potter."  
"You're Lucius Malfoy's son," George glared at the blonde. "Your dad is always causing our dad trouble."  
"Why is he your seeker?" Wood said. His attention is diverted to their brooms almost immediately. "Hang on, are those new brooms?"  
Flint smirked. "They're a gift from Draco's father."  
"Can he do that?" Colin piped up as he marched over to where the rest of the Gryffindor team stood. "Isn't that bribery?"  
"Stay out of this," Malfoy shoved Colin to the ground. Colin's camera hit the ground first, shattering the lense and breaking the top piece off.  
"My camera," Colin whimpered, feeling the tears brimming in his eyes. He didn't even hear the Slytherin's shrieking with laughter or Harry's threats to Malfoy. "My camera..."  
"Aw, is the little baby gonna cry?" Malfoy said mockingly. "Go on, cry. I dare you."  
"Fix it now, Malfoy," Harry snarled, his face dangerously close.  
"Or what, Potter?"  
"I'll make you," Harry crossed his arms.  
"Oh, I'm so scared," Malfoy did a little jiggle. 'I'm shaking in my shoes."  
Harry glared at the blonde with a sense of hatred.  
"Oh, look," Flint said under his breath, "Potter's sidekicks."  
Hermione and Ron stormed over from the doors of the Great Hall after hearing the commotion.  
"What do you want?" Malfoy sneered at them.  
"Harry, what happened? Oh, your camera! How did that happen?" Hermione badgered them with questions.  
"Malfoy shoved Colin and broke his camera," Harry replied angrily.  
"I did everyone a favor," Malfoy smirked with satisfaction. "He's always carrying that bloody thing."  
"So? You had no right to break it," Fred put in.  
"Bloody git," George ground out.  
"And you're not getting the field today, either," Wood said stubbornly.  
Harry sighed aggravated. Trust Wood to bring that up again.  
"I believe we can. We got permission from our head of house," Flint was not to be deterred. "Let's go," he said to his team. They pushed past the Gryffindor team, heading toward the field.  
Surprisingly, it wasn't Wood but Hermione who stepped in front of their way, her hands on her hips. She glared at them with a daring expression, chest heaving.  
"You're not being fair," she told them matter-of-factly. "If it's not your turn then leave."  
"Get out of the way mudblood," Malfoy sneered.  
Colin didn't know what mudblood meant, but it must be pretty bad. The twins lunged at the laughing Slytherin's while the girls on the Gryffindor team yelled, 'How dare you!" Even Wood was stunned into silence. Harry must not have known what it was either. He looked confused.  
"How dare you!" Ron jumped on Malfoy, knocking him to the ground. His fist plummeted into the blonde's face over and over, effectively breaking his pointed nose.  
"Get-off-me-Weasley!" Malfoy choked out. He felt blood seeping out from his injured nose.  
"Ron!" Hermione cried.  
The twins and Harry struggled to pull the redhead off, who refused to budge.  
"Colin-help," Harry motioned him over.  
Colin staggered to his feet, glad to help. He grabbed Ron's arm and pulled. Eventually, they were able to pull him off, panting and yelling.  
"Ron," Harry tried to get his attention but failed. "Ron," again nothing. "RON!"  
"What?" Ron snapped.  
"Calm down," Harry commanded.  
'Calm down?" Ron yelled, waving his arms around crazily. "You want me to calm down?" he asked in a way that reminded Colin of Wood. "He called her-that word!"  
"And what word was that, Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall approached them with pursed lips. "What happened to your face Mr. Malfoy?"  
"Nothing Professor," Flint lied, smiling innocently the same time as Malfoy cried, "Weasley attacked me!"  
"He's lying," Fred interjected. " Hermione got called a m-mudblood."  
Professor McGonagall's face turned severe. "Is that true, Mr. Flint?"  
The Slytherin's shifted. 'Of course not," Malfoy protested. "Why would I call her a mudblood?"  
McGonagall's eyebrows raised. "No one accused you, Mr. Malfoy."  
Malfoy paled.  
"Busted," Colin muttered under his breath, concealing a grin.  
"My office Misters Weasley, Malfoy, Flint and you, too, Miss Granger. Now."  
HPHPHP  
"What happened? Did you get in trouble?" Harry asked when George, Fred, Hermione and Ron returned to the common room. Colin, who was playing a game of exploding snap with Harry, paused as he waited for an answer as well.  
"Not us, but Ronniekins did," Fred answered cheerfully. "Lost fifty points for fighting and has a two week detention with Lockhart."  
"We're so proud," George added, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Didn't think he had it in him."  
"That's rough," Colin said sympathetically to a scowling Ron. "But Malfoy got in trouble too, didn't he?"  
"That's the thing," Ron said angrily. "We've both got detention with Lockhart. It isn't fair!" Harry and Colin winched.  
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione barked, fed up with Ron's whining. "You've been whining since we left Professor McGonagall's office. What did you expect? You were fairly punished. You should be thankful it wasn't Snape."  
"She does have a point, Ronniekins," George pointed.  
"Lockhart is better than Snape, anyday."  
"As far fetched as that sounds."  
"Whatever," Ron slumped onto one of the couches, a pout on his lips.  
"Can-can I ask a question?" Colin piped up, biting his lip. "What's a mudblood?"  
"Don't say that word!" Ron snapped, making the smaller boy shrink back.  
"Sorry," Colin said quickly. "I just don't know what it means."  
"Ignore him, Colin," Fred said dismissively.  
"Yeah, Ronniekins' knickers are in a twist today."  
"Like everyday."  
"All day-"  
"Anyway," Harry interrupted. "The meaning?"  
Fred's face turned solemn, which was an odd look for him. "It means dirty blood. Mudbloods are those who come from non magic families and have no pure blood in them at all. It's a real nasty word."  
"So...so I'm a mudblood?" Colin asked in a small voice. "I have dirty blood?"  
Harry put his hands on the younger boy's shoulder. "Colin, you don't have dirty blood. You are not a mudblood. If anyone's got dirty blood, it's Malfoy."  
Colin gave him a half smile. He was thankful to have a friend like Harry.  
"Oh," Hermione said suddenly. "What about your camera? Is it broken? How bad is it?"  
Colin smiled sadly. He brought his camera out from beside him, holding the broken piece. "My dad gave me this," he whispered, feeling heartbroken.  
Hermione bent down beside him. "I can fix this," she promised.  
"You can?" Colin's head shot up.  
She nodded, pointing her wand at the broken object. "Reparo." In mere seconds, it returned to its original state.  
"I-ah, thank you," Colin said, not knowing what else to say.  
Harry grinned broadly. "Now that it's fixed, want to play another game, Col?"  
Colin blinked, momentarily taken aback by the nickname. He recovered quickly. "Sure."  
He had a feeling he was going to really enjoy these next seven years


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgot to put in the other chapter note that I'm so pleased that people are liking this story! On ffnet for this chapter I had people vote for pairings but obviously I already have them planned out. I am trying to find someone for Ron. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm stumped.

The next few days proved to be difficult; while serving detention, Ron ended up in another physical fight with Malfoy and earned himself an extra month as punishment, as well as losing another fifty points. Needless to say, he wasn't in a very good spirits.  
It was Tuesday night, curfew was near but Ron wasn't back yet. Hermione, Colin and Harry had been studying and playing exploding snap in the common room since dinner ended. Hermione grew tired of waiting for Ron so she bid the boys goodnight and trailed off to her dormitory.  
"What do you think taking Ron?" Colin asked, leaning his back against one of the plush couches, his fingers fiddling with his camera.  
Harry frowned. "I dunno. He should've came back an hour ago." He was beginning to get worried, if he was honest. "Wonder what Lockhart's making him do this time." Lockhart was particularly notorious for forcing his students to serve detentions in rather...unconventional ways. Ron had said he spent the first two days just replying to his fan mail.  
"Probably answering fan mail or telling him how pretty he is," Colin snorted with a roll of his eyes.  
Harry couldn't help but laugh. Being exposed to Seamus and the twins had brought out Colin's sarcastic side. "Probably not far from the truth either," Harry mused.  
Two pairs of feet could be heard thudding down the stairs rather loudly. Fred and George appeared at the bottom of the staircase, grinning.  
"Harrykins, Colinkins," they acknowledged jovially.  
"Just the boys we wanted to see!"  
Colin and Harry shared looks of caution. It was usually never a good thing when the twins wanted to see you.  
"Fancy going to the kitchens with us to get a snack?" Fred asked.  
Harry looked relieved. At least that's all they wanted. Colin, however, was wide eyed and unsettled.  
"But what about curfew?" he squeaked.  
"What about it?" the twins said, nonplussed.  
"We'll get caught," he said. "And have detention with Lockhart."  
Fred shrugged. "Harrykins did a lot worse last year and didn't get caught."  
"We did once," Harry corrected, raising an eyebrow.  
The twins smiled sheepishly. "Oh yeah."  
Colin was still doubtful. "Are you sure it's a good idea? Isn't your brother a prefect? Won't he be roaming the halls? How are you we going to get around that?"  
"We have our ways," the twins said smoothly.  
Harry's eyes lit up. "Wait here," he told them before dashing upstairs to his dorm. He came back down minutes later with a shiny black fabric in his hands.  
"What's that?" Colin asked, awed.  
Fred and George gawked at the Boy-Who-Lived. "Harry," George said after recovering from shock. "Is that really it?"  
"What?" Colin looked from the twins to Harry, frowning. "What is it?"  
"An invisibility cloak," the twins breathed. "How did you get one?" they demanded.  
Harry grinned slyly." That's not important." He fanned the cloak out, lifting it up and motioned Colin over. "You coming?"  
Colin bit his lip hesitatingly. "I dunno. What if we get caught?"  
"We won't," Harry reassured him. "Even if we did I'll make sure you aren't in trouble."  
Colin accepted. He ducked under the cloak with Harry while the twins followed. After leaving the portrait hole, the foursome headed down toward the kitchens, eager for a sweet snack, or, at least Colin was.  
"Do you think the house elves will make us cake?" Colin was so excited that he jumped up and down, almost knocking the cloak off entirely.  
Laughing quietly, Harry grabbed his arm and steadied him. "They might if you ask nicely."  
"Hurry up," one of the twins hissed from behind them. "Let's get there before Snape catches us."  
They almost made it down the corridor when voices could be heard. One was loud and the other was more hushed. Their footsteps could also be heard from a distance.  
"Who is that?" Colin asked Harry in a whisper.  
"I don't know," Harry craned his neck, trying to find the owners of the voices. He turned back around to face the twins. "Fred, George, you go to the kitchen, Colin and I will meet up with you later."  
"Alright," they shrugged and sped off in the opposite direction.  
"Harry," Colin gasped, tugging the older boy's arm. "It's Lockhart and Ron!"  
Indeed it was. Lockhart was seemingly walking Ron back to Gryffindor Tower, an act that the redhead did not appreciate by the displeasing look on his face. He was most likely listening t another one of Lockhart's exaggerated tales; seemingly only nodding at the appropriate times. "Get out of the way," Harry instructed. The boys maneuvered over to the wall, out of the passerby's way. Luckily, they made no noise in the process and even managed to keep the cloak on.  
"I don't think he heard us," Colin said, sighing in relief.  
"Yeah, we definitely dodged a bull-" Harry's words died on his lips when a bone chilling voice spoke.  
Come to me...let me tear you...let me kill...  
He jumped so abruptly that he nearly banged his head against the wall. His heart thumped wildly in his chest.  
"Harry, what is it?" Colin glanced at him with concern. "Are you alright?"  
"You didn't hear that?" Harry stared at him with astoundment.  
"What?" Colin didn't know if he was joking or not.  
"The voice!" Harry's own voice was frantic. "The voice! Didn't you hear it?"  
"No," Colin was beginning to get freaked out. "I didn't hear anything."  
"You..you didn't?" Harry blinked. He couldn't have imagined it, could he? It sounded so...so real.  
"What did it say?" Colin inquired.  
"Come to me, let me tear you, let me kill..." Harry trailed off when he saw the horrified look on the younger boy's face.  
"Should we tell someone?" Colin said anxiously. "Like McGonagall or Dumbledore?"  
Harry shook his head. "There's no point. I don't even know what's making the noise."  
Colin tried to smile encouragingly. "I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe mice in the walls," he suggested.  
Harry smiled weakly. "Yeah, maybe."  
They headed up back to Gryffindor Tower without their snack, neither was feeling particularly hungry after that. After getting through the portrait hole, and interrupted the Fat Lady, who had just nodded off to sleep, they met Ron in the common room.  
"Where have you been?" he asked immediately. "Hermione's in bed and everyone else is up in their dorms."  
"We were going to the kitchen will Fred and George-"  
"Oh, did you bring me something?" Ron asked hopefully. "I'm starving."  
Harry sighed with exasperation. "Ron, focus! We didn't make it. We saw you and Lockhart in the corridor and Colin and I backed up to a wall and that's when a I heard a voice," he explained, unsure of the red head's reaction.  
"So?" Ron said, unfazed. "There are people in the corridor's all the time. You might've heard one of the ghosts'."  
"It wasn't a ghost!" Harry said, sharper then he intended. Ron was taken aback by his outburst. Harry ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "But it wasn't a ghost. I didn't recognize the voice."  
Colin decided it was a good time to speak up. "I suggested we talk to Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore."  
"I agree with him for once," Ron said, much to Colin's shock. "If not McGonagall, Dumbledore will surely listen to you."  
But Harry disagreed. "And like I told Colin, I don't even know where it came from. There's no use involving them for nothing."  
"Maybe so," Ron said slowly. "We are, at least, going to mention this to Hermione, aren't we? Maybe she would know."  
"Only Hermione."  
"Only Hermione," the redhead promised. He plopped down on one of the couches and sprawled out.  
"Rough night with Lockhart?" Colin asked with sympathy. He and Harry sat down in the chairs.  
"He made me answer his fan mail," Ron whined. "And he droned on and on about his new book. Merlin, did I want to tell him he could stick that book up his-"  
"Anyway," Harry interrupted, pausing when Colin laughed. "What did he make Malfoy do?"  
"Basically the same thing. Except he did have him clean his portraits," Ron snickered.  
"Bet Malfoy didn't like that," Colin said quietly, a faint smile on his lips.  
"Course not. Daddy Malfoy probably never made him lift a finger," Ron scowled.  
Harry snorted at the nickname for the elder Malfoy. "So what was Lockhart talking to you about when he was walking you back?"  
"Oh, just another one of his marvelous adventures in the depths of earth," Ron said in his best imitation of Lockhart. "Never heard anything so fake in my life. Who does he think he is? It's a wonder how the girls love him so much."  
"Yeah," Colin said, thinking of Hermione. 'They do seem to fancy him a lot, don't they?"  
"Can't they see he's a prick?" Ron said grumpily. "Honestly..."  
A pair of feet was heard thudding down the stairs. Harry's eyes caught sight of a pair of brown ones. The figure squeaked and ran back upstairs at lightning speed.  
"Ginny," Ron said shaking his head in annoyance. "Wouldn't shut up about you, Harry. It's odd to see her so shy. Got a crush on you, I'm sure."  
Harry looked uncomfortable by the revelation. "That's, er, nice," he said lamely.  
Ron didn't take any offense to his hesitating tone. "Mum used to read her the story about you every night before bed," he revealed nonchalantly.  
Harry's face burned red. "She-what?"  
"You don't know? You're in a couple books, talks all about that night with You-Know-Who."  
"Don't you mean Voldemort?" Colin corrected.  
"Don't say his name!" Ron hissed, making the younger boy cower.  
"Don't scare him," Harry admonished. "Ron, his name is Voldemort. Just say it. It's silly to call him you-know-who."  
Ron shook his head stubbornly. Harry sighed.  
"As you were saying."  
"Right," Ron said, looking a bit uncomfortable himself. "Well, mum read Ginny the story every night and, I dunno, she just got a crush on you. She said she hoped she'd see you at Hogwarts and be your friend."  
"That's a bit creepy," Colin said, hoping he didn't offend the redhead.  
"What do you think, Harry?" Ron asked, ignoring Colin completely.  
"Er, I think I'm going to bed," Harry smiled awkwardly. "Goodnight." He stood up and walked (ran) as fast as he could to the dom. He fell on his bed, groaning loudly into his pillow.  
Why does this stuff happen to me?


	7. Chapter 7

The fall season slowly rolled in and so did October. Colin found himself completely immersed with the hustle and bustle of the castle. He enjoyed his classes, though, perhaps not Defense. Lockhart was a dunderhead, as Professor Snape liked to refer people. On the first day of classes, Lockhart had brought Cornish pixies for the class. Colin, like many of the other boys, thought the whole thing was a joke; after all, since when did pixes sound dangerous? But they were tricky little buggers. Needless to say, they didn't learn anything that day, or any day, really. Even though Snape was cruel and singled people out, at least Colin learned something in his class.  
In the midst of this, Colin found himself another friend besides Harry, Hermione, Seamus and Neville. Ginny was nice to him but she'd been distant lately and became awfully snippy when asked why; so he'd taken to leaving her alone. Luna Lovegood-the girl who had talked to him after their first potions class- charmed Colin after their first meeting. There was no doubt she was a bit strange, but Colin found it endearing. She was unapologetically blunt which often made people uncomfortable or embarrassed, but not him. He was actually glad to have someone like that; someone that didn't even think about about lying to him. For once in his life, Colin actually felt like he was somewhere he belonged.  
It was a few days before Halloween. Colin had a free period before lunch so he joined Hermione and Ron in the common room to work on homework, or, in Ron's case, grumble about having homework. Ron still wasn't particularly pleased with Colin as a tag along, who was rather more of an annoying pest that wouldn't go away.  
"When is Harry coming back?" Ron complained, pushing his book away.  
'I don't know, Ronald," Hermione replied with agitation. "Have you done your Defense yet? Professor Lockhart's checking our papers tomorrow."  
Ron gave a half snort. "Like I care what that git does..."  
Colin decided to intervene before Hermione hexed the redhead. "'Mione, could you please-"  
"Hermione," Ron corrected. "She doesn't like nicknames."  
Hermione shot him a look. "Mione is fine, Colin," she assured.  
"Er, right," Colin felt the tension in the room heighten. Hermione and Ron were glaring at each other heatedly. Some of their fellow housemates had noticed this, too, and they watched them with interest. "Mione, could you answer my question? It's quite silly, I suppose..." he trailed off.  
"Go on, Colin," Hermione encouraged, watching Ron out of the corner of her eye. "What is it?"  
Colin smiled bashfully. "Do people here dress up for Halloween? Like the muggles?"  
Ron's eyebrows flew up. He stared at him oddly.  
"Why would we-"  
"No," Hermione said. "They don't. But we do have a Halloween feast, it's quite a sight."  
Colin was about to ask another question when Harry strolled in through the portrait  
"Finally!" Ron cried.  
"How would you guys like to go to a Deathday party?" Harry said as a way of greeting.  
"A...what?" Colin said, feeling a little out of the loop as Hermione was intrigued and Ron looked creeped out.  
"A party to celebrate the day a ghost has died," Hermione explained. "It's a very important event to ghosts. We should go! Not many living people can say they've gone!"  
"Who'd want to celebrate the day they've died?" Ron wrinkled his nose. "Besides, I thought we were going to the Halloween feast?"  
Smiling sheepishly, Harry said, "I already promised Nick I'd go. You guys can go to the feast if you want."  
"No," Hermione cut in before Ron could. "We'll come."  
"Yeah!" Colin exclaimed excitedly. "Sounds like fun, it does!"  
Sunday came and so did Halloween. When it became time for dinner, everyone from Gryffindor Tower hurriedly shuffled out of the portrait and down the stairs. The trio and Colin followed suit. As they passed the Great Hall, Ron glanced inside jealously. Hagrid's pumpkins, which had grown tremendously since September, were carved and making the entire hall glow with its bright light. It was even rumored that Dumbledore hired a skeleton band to play for the evening.  
"Ron, come on," Hermione yanked him by the arm. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the party as much as you would the feast."  
Ron grumbled under his breath.  
Colin was almost skipping from excitement. Harry had told him that there would be some visiting ghost at the party! How neat!  
"Excited, aren't we?" Harry teased.  
Colin grinned. "I can't wait to tell Dennis! He's trick or treating tonight. Going as a ghoul I believe." He noticed Ron mouthing, trick or treating, to Hermione.  
"Muggle thing," she said dismissively.  
The foursome arrived at one of the roomier dungeons. It was dark, for the most part. The only source of lighting came from black candles that gave off a bluish glow. Colin marveled at the ghosts that floated around the room, chatting amongst themselves.  
"What is that sound?" Ron covered his ears at the sound of screeching. It was like nails on a chalkboard.  
"The orchestra, of course!" The group jumped. Nearly Headless Nick floated over to them, smiling haughtily. "Don't you like it?"  
"Of course we do!" Harry hoped he sounded convincing. "Don't we, guys?"  
"Yeah!" Colin said bubbly. "I've never heard anything like it."  
"I can see why," Ron muttered.  
Nick dusted his transparent shoulder. "I'm not surprised. I hired the best orchestra the dead has to offer. Why, I won't be surprised if they're talking about this at my next party," he said smugly.  
"It's very nice," Hermione agreed. She ignored the incredulous stares from the boys.  
"Did Hermione just lie?" Colin whispered to Harry, shocked.  
Harry chuckled quietly. "She can lie if she needs to."  
"Food!" Ron made a beeline to the table while Harry, Hermione and Colin were glad to have an excuse to get away from Nick, whom began loudly boasting that the fish was a delicacy.  
"Ew!" Ron squealed after picking up a fish. "It's rotten!"  
Colin cautiously reached for a slice of cheese, but it too, was not edible. "And mouldy," he grimaced. He shared a glance with Harry. "Is this how they normally eat?"  
The older wizard shrugged. "I didn't know they could eat."  
"They can't, per say. But they can, in a way, taste it as it passes through them," Hermione explained, smiling politely when a few ghosts waved to her.  
Ron stared at her horrified. "That's terrible!"  
Colin grinned. Ron and his stomach.  
The foursome turned away from the food table, maneuvering past the dozens of ghosts that swarmed around them.  
"What do we do now?" Ron asked glumly. He looked back at the door longingly. "I say we bid Nick good night and head to the feast. They might still have some pasties if we leave now."  
"No we won't," Hermione said in her bossy voice. "We promised Nick we'd be here."  
"Mione's right," Colin agreed. "Let's find a ghost to talk to! I bet that'd be awfully interesting."  
Harry craned his neck in his attempt to find someone. He spotted a group of them huddled into the corner, talking in hushed tones.  
"Let's try them," Harry made a go to move but Hermione stopped him.  
"Let's not," she said warily. "I don't want to speak to Moaning Myrtle."  
"Who?"  
"Moaning Myrtle," Hermione said carefully. 'She haunts the girls bathroom on the first floor."  
"Why would she haunt a bathroom?" Colin said, looking revolted.  
Hermione shrugged. "The bathroom's out of order because she has tantrums and floods it constantly. I never go in there, if I can help it. It's terribly awkward, having to pee when you've got someone wailing."  
"But if she wails then why do they call her Moaning Myrtle?" Colin asked critically.  
Hermione opened her mouth but closed it.  
"I don't know."  
Harry jerked when he felt a poke to his temple. Upon inspection, he found it to be Peeves. The Poltergeist was cackling madly, waving his walking stick in the air.  
"Hello Peeves," Harry stood closer to Colin and away from Peeves' arm length.  
"Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.  
"No thank you." Harry declined.  
Peeves drew himself closer to the four, a smirk on his face. "I heard you talking about Myrtle!"  
Hermione's face went white. "Oh, Peeves, don't tell her-"  
"OY MYRTLE!" Peeves bellowed out happily.  
A short looking girl floated over. She had long dark hair, spectacles, and a gloomy face that seemed to be permanently sewn into a frown.  
"Hello Myrtle!" Hermione said with a falsely happy voice. "How are you this evening?"  
"Miss Granger here has been talking about you!" Peeves was more then happy to tell Myrtle.  
Myrtle's face crumpled up and a fresh wave of tears fell down her silvery face.  
"Hermione was just telling us how pretty you are," Colin jumped in, trying to help his friend.  
"You're lying," Myrtle said bluntly.  
"No," Colin protested. "She did, really. Right?" he glanced at Ron and Harry.  
"Uh, sure."  
"Of course!"  
Myrtle burst into loud sobs, which, Harry noticed, did not grab any of the party goers' attention.  
"You're lying!" Myrtle repeated, sobbing. "You all hate me! I'm just miserable, weeping, moping Myrtle!"  
"You forgot pimply," Peeves piped up cheerfully.  
Colin, Harry and Hermione winched.  
Myrtle let out a shriek before plunging down to the floor, sinking through.  
Hermione glared at the poltergeist. "That wasn't very nice."  
Cackling, Peeves waved his stick around again, 'accidentally' knocking Ron on the head.  
"Ow!' the redhead complained.  
"Peevsy must find Myrtle," Peeves yelled for her, holding the bowl of peanuts close to him.  
"Should we stop him?" Colin asked worriedly.  
"No way," Ron scowled.  
"I think Myrtle will be fine," Harry soothed the younger boy. "She's just, er, a little sensitive."  
"A little?" Ron said in disbelief.  
"Oh, shh, won't you?" Hermione said. "Myrtle might hear you."  
"So?" Ron said impatiently.  
Harry intervene before Ron and Hermione could dissolve into another argument. "Why don't we-" but his words were drowned out by a loud horn. The orchestra stopped playing and everything gathered around, clapping.  
A dozen ghost horses burst through the walls, each one of them were being ridden by a headless horseman.  
"This is so cool!" Colin said to Harry. They both clapped but immediately stopped when Nick's gaze turned on them. "Sorry," they muttered.  
The horses galloped, halted, reared and plunged. The audience ooed and ahhed at the display. The only ghost not enjoying himself was Nick.  
"What a show off," he muttered, glaring.  
"Nick!" one of the ghosts roared to him, squishing his bearded head back onto his neck. "How've you been? Head still hanging in there?" He clapped him on the shoulder roughly.  
"Welcome Patrick," Nick said stiffly.  
"Is that lives ones I see?" Patrick said with fake astoundment.  
"Yes," Nick's transparent eye twitched. "That's Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Colin Creevey and Harry Potter."  
"Harry Potter? Is that so?" Patrick almost dropped his head from shock.  
"Wow, you're even famous with ghosts," Colin said in awe to Harry, who groaned.  
"Yes," Nick puffed out his chest.  
"And what do you think of Nick, lad?" Patrick asked, his silver eyebrows raised.  
"Er," Harry stammered somewhat. 'I think he's very frightening and-"  
"I bet he told you to say that," Patrick snorted in a very undignified manner. "Not even frightening enough for schoolchildren..."  
"No," Harry said a little too quickly. "No he didn't."  
Patrick snorted again, clearly having found his lie.  
"Well," Nick forced out, blatantly annoyed, "time for my speech." He floated up to the front, clearing his throat to grab everyone's attention. "My lamented friends, it's my sorrow to say that.."  
But no one could hear him; Patrick and his fellow horseman started a game of tossing their heads and catching them. The crowd clapped and cheered. Only Harry, Hermione and Colin did not pay attention, Ron looked rather disturbed.  
"I'm sure it's a magnificent speech," Hermione said to Nick comfortingly.  
"It was," Nick said sorrowfully. "It took me days to prepare."  
"You could always give the speech to us," Colin suggested cheerfully. "We'd love to hear it." Hermione nodded but Ron and Harry didn't look entirely pleased.  
"You'd really want to hear it?" Nick brightened up.  
"Of course," Hermione said before Harry or Ron could say anything.  
Nick rolled the scroll back down and repeated the earlier introduction but again, he could not be heard over the roar of the horses and their thudding.  
"Here we go," Nick said bitterly.  
"What are they doing?" Harry asked curiously.  
"They're reenacting the hunt," Hermione said with fascination. "I've always wanted to see it."  
"Everyone does," Nick said sourly, crossing his arms over his chest. He initiated a conversation about how he was always upstaged by Patrick at every party; a conversation that Ron and Hermione listened with awkward smiles.  
Colin snapped a few pictures of the ghosts and the room. He couldn't wait to send the pictures to his parents and Dennis! He knew Dennis would send him his favorite candy from his Halloween bucket. Dennis was considerate like that.  
Colin noticed Harry, who had been staring off distantly, suddenly became wide eyed and on alert. "What's wrong?" he asked him.  
"I...I hear it again," Harry bolted to the door, not even glancing back.  
"Where's he going?" Ron asked dumbly.  
"Come on," Colin took off in a run. Hermione followed, after muttering a hurried apology to Nick. The three of them ran into the hallway where they saw Harry. He was standing in the middle, looking around wildly.  
"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione was anxious.  
"I heard it! I heard the voice again!"  
"Voice? What voice?" Hermione frowned. "Did you know about this?" she questioned Ron and Colin.  
"We did. Ron was suppose to tell you," Colin said, hoping she wasn't angry with him.  
Hermione's piercing glare turned on the redhead. "Why didn't you tell me, Ronald?"  
"I sorta forgot," Ron mumbled.  
"How do you forget something like that?" Hermione hit her forehead.  
"I got distracted," he defended.  
"By what?"  
"Homework," he said confidently. His confidence wavered when Colin laughed quietly.  
"Oh, will you shut up!"  
"Ron!"  
"What? He-"  
"Will you all be quiet," Harry hissed. "I'm trying to listen." He leaned against the wall, slithering along.  
"It's the same voice," he told Colin. "The same one I heard when we snuck out."  
"You snuck out?" Hermione exclaimed in disbelief.  
"What's it saying?" Colin bit his lip apprehensively.  
"Rp, tear, kill," Harry breathed. "Let me kill. Let me tear. So hungry."  
Hermione, Colin and Ron stared at him, a mix of horrified and bemused expressions.  
"Follow me!" Harry shouted, running down the corridor. The rest of them followed him.  
"It's going to kill someone!" he shouted in distress. He heaved his legs despite their moaning from the pain.  
"Harry, slow down!" Hermione panted. But he didn't hear her. He kept running, paying no attention to anyone or anything.  
Harry kept running, the voice in his head was hissing sardonically.  
After what felt like an eternity, the hissing stopped and Harry finally gave in to his body's plea.  
"What was that about?" Ron said. "I couldn't hear a thing."  
Harry looked at each of them. "You didn't hear anything?" They all shook their heads.  
"Er, Harry," Colin said nervously. "Maybe now's a good time to-"  
"There!" Hermione said suddenly. "Look at the wall!"  
How they didn't notice it before, Colin didn't know. But on the wall, printed in large letters, was words that made his stomach fill with dread.  
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.  
To his horror, Colin realized the words were written in blood.  
"Hang on, what's hanging under the light?" Hermione said with a quiver in her voice.  
"Mrs. Norris!" Colin gasped.  
The cat was hanging by her tail from the torch. She was staring off in the distance, not moving an inch.  
"Is she-" Harry began.  
"Dead?" Ron finished. He turned to Hermione frantically. "Is she dead?"  
"I don't know!" she replied shrilly. Taking a step forward, she got a better look of the cat. "She certainly looks like it.."  
"We need to go," Ron said immediately. "We can't be found here."  
"But shouldn't we help Mrs. Norris?" Colin didn't want to leave the cat, as much as he disliked her.  
"No way," Ron said. "Let's just go."  
It was too late. A crowd could be heard gathering from behind them. They charged in all directions and the rumble of chatter floated through the air. They could hear hundreds of feet thudding on the floor.  
"Oh, great," Ron whispered harshly.  
Many people gasped at seeing the tree second years and one first year standing there alone with Mrs. Norris and the writing on the wall. They all stopped talking at once and a silence fell over.  
"Enemies of Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Draco Malfoy pushed his way to the front, a nasty grin on his ugly face. His gaze fell on Hermione and Colin as he spoke the last word.  
Harry was torn between defending his friends and throttling Malfoy or to start proclaiming their innocence, He did neither, however. His heart pounded and he could only stand there with his mouth agape.  
"What's going on?" Professor Dumbledore gently made his way to the front. Behind him were Professors McGonagall, Snape and Lockhart. He and the other Professors were stunned at the scene before them.  
"MY CAT!" someone in the crowd shrieked. "MY CAT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" Argus Filch, the caretaker, came forward. His eyes were bulging out of his head and spittle was flying everywhere. His eyes landed on the foursome. "What happened? I want answers!"  
"As do I," Snape said in his silky voice.  
"Professor Dumbledore," Harry spoke first. "We didn't do anything, honest. We found her like this."  
"Likely story," someone muttered. Others began to agree and Professor Dumbledore held up a hand; the commotion stopped.  
"Misters Potter, Weasley, Creevey, Miss Granger, tell me what happened."  
Hermione spoke this time. "We were all at Sir Nicholas' Deathday party when we...left and we found the writing on the wall and Mrs. Norris." She conveniently left out the part of Harry hearing the voice.  
"THAT' A LIE!" Mr. Filch shrieked again. "YOU MURDERED MY CAT!"  
"She's fine, Argus," Professor Dumbledore assured as he took a look at her. "She's been petrified, that's all."  
"Aha, I thought so!" Lockhart said triumphantly, speaking for the first time.  
"You can fix her, can't you?" Mr. Filch said sharply.  
"Certainly," Professor Dumbledore smiled serenely.  
"As nice as that is, Dumbledore, what are we going to do about Potter and his friends? Surely you plan on punishing them?" Snape's lip curled into a smirk.  
"What for, Severus?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly.  
"For failing to alert a teacher, of course," Snape said. "Were you just planning on handling this, yourselves?" His black eyes flickered to the group.  
"No we weren't," Harry protested.  
"We wouldn't do that," Colin spoke very quietly but confidently. "We'd just found her, sir."  
Snape sneered at the boy, but to Colin's credit, he didn't cower. "You are at least going to punish them, aren't you?" Snape demanded to Dumbledore.  
"Not today," Dumbledore calmly answered.  
"Why not, might I ask?" Snape's teeth gritted together.  
"They may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time, Severus. And they are innocent until proven guilty, correct?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  
Colin let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.  
Snape growled.  
"Now," Dumbledore continued calmly, "I will have a potion brewed for Mrs. Norris-"  
"I can make it," Lockhart volunteered. "I've made hundreds of healing potions. Can do it with my eyes closed."  
"Excuse me," Snape said, glaring hotly at the bumbling fool. "I am the potions master of this school. I will be brewing the potion.  
Truth be told, but Colin would take a potion from Snape than Lockhart any day. Crazy as that sounds, but at least Snape had experience.  
"Off to bed, you lot," Dumbledore said to the crowd, waving his arms. "Go on, nothing more to see."  
The crowd trickled out, some still glanced back at the scene. Others, like Draco Malfoy, loudly told Crabbe and Goyle how the whole school was going down the drain.  
The foursome hurriedly trotted off to Gryffindor Tower, talking feverishly to themselves along the way.  
"Who could've done that to Mrs. Norris?" Colin asked no one in particular.  
"Or what?" Harry pointed out. "I'm not certain it could've been someone to do that."  
"What are you saying?" Ron gulped.  
"He's saying there's a creature in the school," Hermione said somberly.


	8. Chapter 8

The news of Mrs. Norris' petrification and the writing on the wall spread like wildfire. The only thing that spread faster was that Harry Potter and his friends had been spotted at the scene of the crime. Everyone had their own speculation as to what happened; none of which was ever close to the truth. The whispers followed the four of them wherever they went. Even their own house turned on them except for a few selective people. None of the professors seemed aware of the behavior, or, if they did, they didn't say a word about it.  
Fred and George Weasley, along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, had taken up the job of protecting the trio and Colin while in the halls, the Great Hall or in the courtyard. The girls had especially taken to Colin, he had become their honorary little brother since they met when he came to watch Harry practice. The little first year was overwhelmed with happiness. He'd never had friends before Hogwarts and now he had a whole bunch! Colin never wanted the year to end.  
Colin shuffled his way through the hallway, ignoring the jeers and whispers that followed him. Usually Alicia Spinnet or Katie Bell would walk with him after Transfiguration but something had come up so he was on his own today. He could hardly wait until lunch. He needed to write to Dennis and their parents; it had been a whole week since his last letter His parents were much excited for the upcoming holidays, they said that they missed him tremendously, Dennis being the most. Colin hated leaving his brother, he could only hope that Dennis turned out to be a wizard as well. It would be a great joy, having two wizards in the family.  
He was almost at the end of the corridor when he remembered that Hermione asked him to stop by the library to meet them; said it was for something important. Knowing Hermione, she probably she was probably forcing Harry and Ron to study for exams and wasn't above forcing him to study either.  
When he arrived, the library was quiet as usual. Madam Price was checking out another student's book, occasionally stopping to hush someone who dared raise their voice in her library. He found the trio in the back. Hermione was flipping wildly through a rather thick book, looking very cross while Ron and Harry settled themselves on chairs, watching the bushy haired girl wearily. Colin sat across from the boys, cautiously setting his bag down.  
"What are you reading?" he asked her.  
Hermione didn't even look up. She slammed the book shut, practically shoving it back onto the shelf.  
"What's her problem?" Ron muttered to Harry.  
"All of Hogwarts A History textbooks are gone!" she exclaimed, slumping into her chair. "I left mine at home." She moaned miserably.  
"Why do you want that anyway?" Ron said incredulously. "We don't need it."  
"I know that," she told him, flustered. "Everyone else does, to find out more information about the Chamber of Secrets."  
"The what?"  
The boys stared at her, intrigued.  
"I don't remember," she sighed sadly. "That's why I wanted the book. So I could find out."  
"Why don't you just ask Professor Binns?" Colin suggested. "I'm sure he would answer."  
Hermione looked like she could kiss him. "That's brilliant, Colin!  
Colin blushed.  
"Are you sure he will?" Harry said skeptically. "You know he doesn't like questions that don't go with the lesson."  
"Maybe if you ask him nicely he will," Colin put in.   
Ron scoffed and muttered under his breath. Whatever it was, Hermione and Harry both shot him looks, which did nothing.  
"I'll do that, Colin," Hermione said, ignoring the urge to throttle Ron.  
"Hermione," Ron desperately checked his watch. "Can I look at your composition? I only need two more inches."  
"No," she told him sharply. "You've had plenty of time to do it."  
"But-"  
"Let's go, Ron," Harry interjected, dragging the redhead by the arm. "We'll see you later, Col!" he called back over his shoulder. Hermione followed them soon after waving goodbye to him.  
A grin slowly spread across Colin's face. He'd only ever been called Col by Dennis and maybe their dad. It probably wasn't a huge deal but it was to Colin. He finally had a friend to call him by a nickname! He sighed happily.  
Maybe I could start working on my letter.  
Colin took the parchment paper and quill out of his bag and began writing.  
Dear Dennis,  
How was Halloween? Did you get lots of candy? Harry, Hermione, Ron and I were invited to a Deathday party for the Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas. I had loads of fun! Something strange happened, though. Harry heard that voice again and this time he led us to Mrs. Norris, that's Mr. Filch's cat, hanging by her tail on a torch. The words "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware" was written on the wall in blood. I'm not sure what the Chamber Of Secrets is but it sounds frightening.  
People have been talking about us and laughing but our older friends have been putting a stop it, or at least trying to. I actually have friends Dennis! It's wonderful. They haven't gotten annoyed by me or my camera once!  
How are mum and dad doing? Are they well? Has dad been doing alright on his routes? I miss them like crazy. Tell them that I love them and that I miss them.  
Love, your big brother  
Colin  
"What are you writing?"  
To some, Luna's noisiness was a bother, but to Colin, he was touched that someone even cared to ask.  
"Just writing a letter to Dennis and my parents." He carefully folded the letter, making sure no edge was wrinkled or torn. He glanced at the blonde who was reading one of the textbooks from her bag. "New radishes today, Luna?"  
She beamed at him. "Oh, yes! My last pair was becoming quite squishy."  
Colin can't help but grin. Luna has that effect on him. "Maybe we can find a charm that will help them not become squishy," he said smiling at the way her face lit up.  
"That's very kind of you."  
Colin waved it off dismissively. It was then that Luna decided to speak again.  
"You shouldn't take what people say to heart. People are cruel."  
"I know," he said softly. He'd been taking the whispers and the talking behind their backs hard. Because of the slight bullying he faced in primary school, he craved acceptance. He needed people to like him. So it always felt like a blow to his stomach when Ron was in one of his moods and treated him like a pest that wouldn't go away. Like he couldn't be bothered to even talk to him.  
"Ron will come around," she commented idly.  
"I hope so," he mumbled. He lifted his head and met her eyes. "I really wish we were in the same house, Luna."  
"That would be quite nice," she agreed. "But my mother and Daddy were in Ravenclaw so it's nice to follow tradition."  
Colin gazed at her. This was one of the rare times she spoke of her mother. He only heard of Pandora Lovegood once before during their second conversation. "Can I ask you a question, Luna?"  
She hummed. "Of course, Colin."  
"How did your mother die?" He bit his lip, hoping that she wasn't angry with him.  
Luna's dreamy facial expression vanished. She was solely for the first time since they met. "Her own spell backfired on her. I was nine when it happened and I saw the whole thing."  
Colin gasped quietly. "Oh Luna, I'm so sorry..."  
"Oh, it's alright," she's smiling again. "Daddy takes good care of me and we go to her grave often. I miss her but she's always with me."  
Colin couldn't help but admire Luna's courage and bravery. She should have been a Gryffindor. She always showed strength when she needed to. Never showing the slightest bit of anger or sadness when someone took her things from her. Colin could only wish he had what she had in her.  
"You better go. I expect Harry is awaiting for your arrival," she said abruptly.  
Glancing at his watch, he noticed that Harry's history period ended two minutes ago. He bid Luna a good day with the promise that they would find a time so Colin could show her how to work his muggle camera and sped out of the library in a hurry. He met the trio in the corridor. They were anxious looking. It made him nervous.  
"What's wrong?" he questioned.  
"Come with us," Hermione led them down the corridor where the attack happened.  
"Where are we going?" The boys asked repeatedly. She shushed them and kept on moving.  
"She won't tell us anything," Harry said to Colin, exasperatedly as they rushed along.  
"Honestly, it's bloody-" Ron stopped dead. He stared ahead with terror in his eyes.  
"Ron?" Hermione and the others stopped their walking and stared back at the redhead. "Are you alright?"  
"I, ah, er," Ron stuttered, leaning against the wall as if for support.  
'Say!" Colin interjected. "Look at those spiders!" Indeed, a long line of spiders crawled up a silvery web streight up to the window and through a small crack opening. They seemed to be fighting to get out. Following Ron's gaze, one could see his line of sight landed right on the spiders.  
"I-don't-like-spiders," he said tersely. Hermione and Harry looked at him surprise.  
"I didn't know that," she commented.  
Colin quirked his eyebrow quizzly. "Don't you use spiders in potions?"  
"Not live ones!" Ron snapped, making the smaller boy cower. Calming down, he said, "I don't mind dead spiders. But live ones," he shivered. A giggle escaped Hermione's mouth.  
"It's not funny," he whined.  
"Of course not, Ron," Harry said, fighting the urge to grin. The only one who was composed was Colin, who was looking at him with sympathy.  
"My dad hates spiders," he said thoughtfully. ""Got bit by one on the job, once."  
Ron paled. "He got bit?"  
Colin nodded seriously. "Yes, on the arm. It swelled up and changed color, too. He was lucky it didn't have to be amputated-" Harry put his hand over his mouth, laughing nervously. "That's enough of that."  
"What does amputate mean?" Ron demanded, looking from Colin to Harry to Hermione.  
"Nothing, Ron," Harry said innocently. Changing the subject, he queried, "Why do you hate spiders so much?"  
"Fred turned by teddy into one when I was three," he replied, shuddering. Colin's mouth formed an O. "It was horrible." Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing, an action that the redhead didn't fail to notice.  
"It's not funny!"  
Harry rolled his eyes and continued to walk. He didn't notice the wet spot on the floor until he stepped right in it and slipped. Yelping, he fell on his back in the puddle. Much to his disgust, he found it to be toilet water.  
"Are you alright?" Colin exclaimed, coming to his side and helping him up.  
Harry grimaced at the water that flowed down his soaked uniform. "I'm fine." He glanced around. "Where did that come from?"  
Hermione caught up with them. "It was from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," she informed them, pointing to the bathroom that had an Out of Order sign hung on it. "Come on," she reached for the brass doorknob but the boys didn't follow. "Aren't you coming?"  
"We can't go in there," Harry couldn't believe she was serious. "It's a girls bathroom."  
"It's out of order," she pinched the bridge of her nose. "No one will know."  
"Won't we get in trouble if someone spots us?" Colin shifted from one foot to the other.  
"No one will spot us," she reassured him. She opened the door, beckoning them inside. The bathroom was the gloomiest bathroom Colin had ever been in. The mirror was cracked and the skinks were chipped. One of the doors even hung off its hinges. The floor was damp with water and the only light source came from low burning candles. Colin could see why no one ever came inside.  
"Why are we-" Hermione silenced Ron and made her way to the end of the stall, a pleasant but seemingly forced smile on her face. "Hello Myrtle. Having a good day?"  
Moaning Myrtle came suddenly out of the toilet, looking sourly over Hermione. "This is a girls bathroom," she said in her sickly high pitched voice. "They're not girls."  
"No," Hermione agreed. "But they're good friends of mine. I wanted them to see-this." She motioned to all around her. Myrtle narrowed her eyes.  
"You're lying," she accused. "You're lying to me!"  
"No!" Hermione quickly said. "I'm not, really."  
Myrtle huffed.  
Colin fiddled with his camera. "It's, er, very nice in here," he lied, avoiding her gaze. "May I take a picture?" His hope of brightening up Myrtle's mood did not happen. In fact, she became moodier if possible.  
"Why?" she shrieked. "So you can make fun of me?"  
"No!" Colin glanced at Harry helplessly. "I would never do that!"  
But Myrtle did not listen. She wailed and carried on so much that the foursome considered just running out. At last, Harry mouthed to Hermione, "Ask her if she knows anything about the attack."  
"Are you whispering about me?" More tragic sobs escaped her throat.  
"No!" Harry denied.  
"Myrtle," Hermione cut in. "Harry's not trying to upset you-"  
"Funny! That's all anyone ever does! They call me names all the time!" Colin looked sorry for her.  
"We wanted to know if you saw anything on Halloween night? After the party?" Hermione asked.  
Myrtle shrugged miserably. "I don't know. I came in her after Peeves made fun of me. I wanted to kill myself but I forgot I was already-already-" she trailed off, sobbing.  
"Already dead," Ron said helpfully, looking puzzled when the other three looked scandalised.  
Myrtle let out a giant wail and floated right down into the toilet again, splashing water everywhere.  
"Let's get out of here," Harry ushered them out.  
"Yes, let's," Hermione shook her head over Ron's lack of tact.  
They'd barely gotten out when someone with a loud voice startled them.  
"RON!"  
Percy, in his Perfect glory, strode up to them, red faced. He looked from the bathroom to the boys, gaping openly in shock. "That's a girls bathroom," he said at last. "Why were you three in there?" His glare was so intense that Colin hid behind Harry.  
"It's out of order, Percy," Ron waved his arms in aggravation. "It doesn't matter."  
"Yes it does!" his brother snapped back. "Boys are not to be in the girls bathroom and vice versa. You're lucky I don't give you detention over this."  
Ron scoffed. "Like you would."  
Percy's eyebrows rose daringly. "Would you like to find out?"  
"No!" Hermione and Harry said. Colin felt his stomach drop. He'd never gotten detention before! He couldn't start now.  
"No," Ron said gruffly. His brother pursed his lips.  
"Thought so. Really, Ron, you shouldn't come back to the scene like that. Who knows what people will think-"  
"Why do you care?" Ron's temper flared. "We didn't touch that cat, Percy."  
"I know," Percy said, smoothing his uniform down, though he didn't sound very convincing. "I know you didn't, but who's to say no one else does? Just stay away from here, alright?"  
"Unbelievable," Ron snarled. "You're my brother! You're supposed to believe me!"  
"I do," Percy insisted, still sounding off. "I do, Ron. But you've got to admit, the whole thing was very suspicious."  
Ron shoved past him, not even bothering to look back. The others followed him, shooting Percy apologetic looks. But Percy wasn't done talking.  
"Aren't you concerned with how upset Ginny is?" he barked.  
Ron ceased walking, whirling around to face him. "Ginny's fine," he said hotly.  
"Really?" Percy crossed his arms. "She seems to think you all are going to get expelled."  
'Well, we aren't," he scoffed again. "You're just worried we'll mess up your chances of being head boy," he sneered.  
"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy glared. "Don't make me take anymore off, or write to mum." Ron stormed off angrily.  
Later that evening, the foursome were in the common room, huddled together. Ron was still in a very bad mood, even worse after he'd carelessly left his wand in his back pocket and sat down for dinner and hearing it snap in half. His mum had no way of getting him a new wand so he'd have to stick it out for the rest of the year.  
"I hate this," he sai dfor theumpteenth time. "I hate this, I hate this, I hate-"  
"We get it," Hermione interrupted. "It's your own fault, really. Why would you stick your wand in your pocket of all places?"  
"I don't know," Ron moaned. His wand burst into flames when he used it to remove the blotches he left on his homework from his ink, flames that Hermione put out.  
Colin, who had been very quiet for the last ten minutes, shut his potions book and looked at the older students with curiosity. "I wonder what's trying to scare off the muggleborns and Filch," he remarked.  
"Or who," Ron added. "I think it's Malfoy." Hermione slapped her forehead. "Honestly Ron.."  
"I'm serious!" he insisted. "Who else hates muggleborns and squibs?"  
"All the other Slytherin's," Harry said dryly at the same time Colin asked what a squib was.  
"Someone born to a magic family but doesn't have magic themselves," Hermione answered as though she was a walking textbook. "Mr. Filch is a squib."  
"That's horrible," Colin couldn't imagine if Dennis and his parents had magic but not him. "He must be awfully jealous of his family."  
"Why do you think he hates us kids?" Ron said. "He's bitter."  
"Could-could he be the heir of Slytherin?" Colin said uncertainty. "Maybe he's trying to scare us off because he's bitter?" The Other three looked skeptical.  
"I don't think so," Hermione dismissed the idea. "Salazar Slytherin wouldn't have any squibs as descendants. No, it has to be someone magical and from the Slytherin house."  
"Again, Malfoy-"  
"Oh, give it a rest Ron."  
"He might be right, Mione," Harry shrugged. Ron shot her a look of triumph. "I mean, Ron's right, he doesn't hate muggleborns. And he did say "You'll be next mudbloods!" on Halloween. It's not completely wrong.."  
"Still," Hermione was unconvinced. "Malfoy's only twelve, do you really believe he knows how to open the chamber?"  
"Maybe his dad taught him," Colin suggested. For once, Ron was overjoyed that he was contributing to the conversation.  
"Colin, you're brilliant!" he exclaimed, to everyone's surprise. "That's it! Malfoy's father must be coaching him!"  
"Ron-" Hermione started.  
"No, Mione, listen! He must have told him how to open it and he made sure it happened on Halloween and it just so happened that we came across it."  
"I suppose it might be possible," Hermione said cautiously.  
"How do we find out if it's true?" Colin asked.  
"We can't," Harry said darkly. "There's isn't a way."  
"Yes there is," Hermione corrected. "There's one way. But it's horribly dangerous, not to mention we'd be breaking about fifty school rules." At this, the boys were intrigued again and listening very attentively.  
"Well, what is it?" Ron said eagerly.  
"We just need some PolyJuice potion," she said.  
"What's that?" the boys said.  
"It's a potion that allows someone to change into another person," she explained, ignoring their astounded looks. "All we'd need is the hair of the person we wish to be then we can go to the Slytherin common room and find out once and for all if Malfoy is the heir."  
"Where did you hear about that?" Harry said finally after recovering from shock.  
"Snape," she answered easily.  
"We won't get stuck like them forever will we?" Colin spoke up, worryingly. "We do change back, correct?"  
"Oh, yes," Hermione waved his worry off. "It only lasts for an hour. We just need a note from a teacher to get the book; it's in the restricted section."  
"Who would give us a note?" Ron demanded. "Only somebody real thick would do that!"  
"We'll just say that we're interested in the theory and want to read up on it," she shrugged.  
"Yeah," Ron grumbled, "because McGonagall will fall for that."  
"I'm not talking about Professor McGonagall!" she snapped.  
"Then who?" Harry asked.  
"...so you see Professor," Hermione finished. "We just wanted a good read, that's all."  
Professor Lockhart sat back in his chair, eying the four of them. "You are aware this is typically made for older students, Miss Granger?"  
"Yes, sir," she gulped.  
"Alright then," he said cheerfully. He wrote them the note and handed it to her in mere seconds. They left his office moments later.  
"I can't believe he did that," Ron shook his head disbelievingly.  
"Me either," Harry slapped his forehead. He addressed Hermione, "I can't believe they hired him. He gave three twelve year olds and an eleven year old acess to the restricted section...how daft can you be?"  
The witch was highly offended. "He is not!" she said shrilly. They rounded the corner and she continued, "He is very brilliant."  
"If you're stupid, maybe," Ron muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, he wasn't quiet enough.  
"Ow!"  
"Anyway," Harry cut in. "What book do we need?"  
"Moste Potente Potions," Hermione answered dutifully.  
"I've never heard of that book," Harry murmured.  
"That's because it's an advanced book, typically for sixth year students," Hermione said matter-of-factly.  
Ron, Harry and Colin stared at her.  
"What?" she said, a bit flustered. "It's quite easy, really."  
"She really is the brightest witch of our age," Colin said with admiration.  
"Oh, shush," she blushed.  
The foursome returned to the library in less than ten minutes. Hermione gave Madam Price the note colly, though the boys knew inwardly that she was nervous. The librarian raised her eyebrows as she read.  
"Why would you want that book?" she asked suspiciously.  
"We're interested in the theory," Hermione tried to sound cool. "We're doing a bit of light reading."  
Madam Price glanced at her one more time before she dropped the note beside her. Hermione gave a small squeak as she asked for it back.  
"You want the note back?" Madam Price seemed convinced that Hermione'd had lost her mind. "Why?"  
"Ah, well," Hermione stuttered.  
"Oh, come on," Ron tried to guide her away from the desk. "We can get you another autograph some other time." Hermione blushed furiously but followed them nonetheless. She grabbed the book quickly and they made a beeline for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They barricaded the door while making sure no one, especially Percy, saw them enter.  
"What are you doing back?" Myrtle scowled, perching on top of her toilet.  
"Just doing some reading," Hermione said friendly.  
Myrtle huffed but said no more.  
"Well?" Ron said impatiently. "What's it say?"  
"First off," Hermione sat crossed legged on the floor, next to Colin and Harry. Ron standing, leaning against the wall. "We've got to figure out who we're going to be disguised as. I'll be Millicent Bulstrode."  
"I suppose Ron and I could be Crabbe and Goyle," Harry said reluctantly. He looked at Colin. "But who will you be?"  
"Er-" Colin started.  
"He could be Blaise Zabini," Hermione said. "I've heard he's rather close with Malfoy."  
"Alright," Colin agreed.  
"So how do we get the hair of the person?" Harry inquired. Ron looked uneasy at having to ingest even a hair of Crabbe.  
Hermione continued to read as if she hadn't heard him.  
"Leeches, lacewing flies, fluxweed, knotgrass..." she read. "Some of this we can get from the student cupboard."  
"What about the rest?" Colin stretched his legs out. "How are we going to get the rest of the ingredients?"  
Hermione hesitated.  
"Oh no!" Ron said suddenly. "No, no no!"  
"What?" Colin said, startled by Ron's outburst.  
"I refuse," Ron declared, crossing his arms. Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "It's risky Hermione.."  
"What is?" Colin hated being out of the loop. "What's risky?"  
"We're going to need to steal from Snape to get the rest of the ingredients," Harry said finally.  
Shocked, Colin's gaze flickered to Hermione. "Steal? From Snape?"  
Hermione slammed the book shut, her expression was of irritation. "Well, unless you to call it quits and give up I can certainly return the book and we can forget about Malfoy being the heir-"  
"Alright," Harry said. "Alright. We'll do it. How long does this take to brew?"  
"A month," she answered promptly.  
"A month? Malfoy could attack half the school by then!" Ron exclaimed.  
Hermione gave him a stern gaze. "I can't rush a potion as advanced as this Ronald."  
"Well, I know but-"  
"It's settled," Harry interrupted. "You'll brew it and we'll keep an eye out for Malfoy in the meantime."  
"Yeah," Colin chimed in. "What's the worst that could happen?"


	9. Chapter 9

November came far too quickly. The classes became more rigorous in preparation for the upcoming holidays. Lockhart's defense classes were relatively dull in comparison from his first class. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall informed him that he couldn't bring any creatures, especially those pesky Cornish pixies, into the school unless approved.  
The chatter about the writing on the wall and Mrs. Norris' petrification died down. No one particularly cared about the news of second and first years anymore. Though this hadn't stopped Draco Malfoy from loudly giving his opinion on who the heir was at any given time he thought people were listening. Colin was more than relieved to be lifted from the center of attention. The trio weren't fazed by the undivided attention, having been subjected to it their first year, but this was entirely new to Colin, at least the situation concerning him was.  
That wasn't the only thing that changed, the weather was becoming chilly and the leaves fell completely off their trees, leaving them bare. If one would look take noticed, they'd see the Quidditch field looked like a beautiful scene from Heaven; if you were Oliver Wood, that is.  
The first game of the season arrived and Wood was more nervous than anyone had seen him. He forced his the players to practice before dawn in hopes of beating Slytherin to the field and to brush up on their skills. He was determine to win and be the best. Ron agreed with his tactic, mainly because he wanted to beat Slytherin and see the smug smile wipe off Malfoy's face. Hermione and Colin were a little more disapproving. Hermione thought Wood was insane for prioritizing practice over sleep and food. Colin was more half and half. He didn't agree with getting up early or not eating but he did want Harry and the Gryffindor team to win. They helped them all so much when everyone was talking about them, so cheering them on was the least he could do.  
It was gameday. Colin and the trio were in the Great Hall eating breakfast, after persuading Harry to eat, that was. Colin was bouncing in his seat, terribly excited for the first match.  
"What are you so excited for? You're not playing," Ron said in between his large bites of eggs.  
"Ron," Hermione scolded. "Don't be so rude. Colin's never seen a Quidditch match before."  
"You haven't?" Ron stared, open mouthed. A few soggy pieces of egg dropped out. Hermione's nose wrinkled.  
"His parents are muggles, Ron. Honestly."  
Colin watched Harry pick around his food. "Are you nervous?" he asked the black haired boy.  
"A little," Harry admitted. "I really don't want to lose."  
"You mean Wood doesn't want you to lose," Hermione grumbled.  
"I'm sure you'll be brilliant," Colin praised him. "You always do great in practice."  
"I'm not that great," Harry denied modestly, taking a bite of toast. "There are better players than me." His friends were skeptical. "I'm serious!"  
"Harry!" Seamus Finnigan barked as he strode over to them. He leaned over the table and said, "Ready for the game?"  
"Good morning Seamus. I'm having a good day, too. Thanks for asking," Harry said dryly. The Irishman was not to be deterred, however.  
"Come on Harry," he whined urgently. "You're going to win, right?" he leaned in closer. "Because I've put in a bet with half the Hufflepuff team that you will. Don't lose, I don't have one hundred gallons to lose!" his eyes were wide with worry.  
"Seamus!" Hermione whispered, shocked. "You bet one hundred gallons?" Why would you do that?"  
"I don't know," Seamus moaned. "I only meant to bet ten and, I dunno, it just got bigger."  
"Better hope Harry wins or you're screwed," Ron told him, ignoring the look of pure agitation from the other boy.  
"Don't you think I know that!"he snapped. He slumped down on the seat, burying his head in his hands.  
"I'm sure everything will be alright," Colin tried to cheer him up. "Harry's great at Quidditch. We won't lose."  
"I hope you're right," Seamus mumbled miserably.  
Eleven o'clock was fastly approaching. Harry left to go meet the other players in the locker room while Colin went with the other Gryffindors up to the stands, not forgetting to bring his beloved camera. He, Seamus, Hermione and Ron met Dean and Neville up at the highest part of the stands. While not as close as he was with everyone else, Dean was friendly to him so he was regarded as an acquaintance.  
"Do you know when it starts?" Colin asked the both of them excitedly. He clutched his camera so hard his knuckles turned white. Dean gently pried his fingers away.  
"Soon. Oh, they're coming out now."  
The players from both teams came onto the middle of the field. The Slytherin's booed at the Gryffindors and vice versa. Harry was the smallest, even compared to Malfoy. He glanced up and waved to them before turning his attention to Madam Hooch.  
"Oh my whistle," she said. "Three...two...one!"  
The crowed roared and the players flew into the sky. Harry was the highest of all. He flew and sped off past Malfoy, who was busy showing off his new broom.  
"And they're off!" came Lee Jordan's magnified voice. "Potter searches for the snitch while Malfoy sits on his lazy a-"  
"JORDAN!"  
"Sorry professor," Lee said unapologetically, barely suppressing a snicker.  
Colin observed a bludger-Harry had taught him all the names, he remembered proudly-that was heading right toward Harry. He'd just barely avoided it. Colin turned to Neville, the nervous boy was watching and biting his nails simultaneously.  
"Is that supposed to happen?"  
Neville shook his head fearfully.  
Colin maneuvered passed the crowd of students and reached Hermione and Ron; the two were watching Harry, their hands gripping the handrail.  
"What's going on with that bludger?" Colin asked them, breathlessly. The bludger pelted after Harry but Fred Weasley whacked it with his club and it flew in the air, away from Harry, luckily.  
Hermione turned pale as the bludger got closer and closer. "I'm not sure."  
At this, Ron looked unsettled. "What do you mean you don't know?" he demanded.  
"I don't know everything, Ronald!" she snapped, running a hand through her hair.  
Colin's attention diverted from their bickering to Harry. He flew around the field in a circle, the bludger still at his heels. Colin wasn't even sure if he was looking for the snitch at this point. The other Gryffindor players were doing everything they could to help while continuing to play.  
I'm sure everything's fine. Colin clicked away happily with his camera. He waited until everything was in a perfect position to snap. He got a good one of Harry diving down. He took a few of the people in the stands, too; some were of the professors and others were the students. He deliberately avoided taking Professor Lockhart's photo. No need to give the man a bigger ego.  
"Oh, good, they're taking a time out," he heard Hermione say in relief. She was right-they landed on the field, huddled up together. The Slytherin's were jeering at them, not that it was to anyone's surprise. Minutes later, they got back up in the air. The bludger was still roaming around wildly. If this was how Quidditch normally was, Colin wanted no part of it.  
"And they're back in the air!" Lee said. "Gryffindor-oh! Spinnet gets whammed by Percy! That's gotta hurt..." Lee's words were drowned out by the screaming from the crowd.  
"We've got to do something," Hermione breathed. "That's bludger's going to hurt Harry!"  
"But what do we do?" Colin said helplessly.  
"Leave it to her," Ron said when Hermione's face lit up. "SHe'll know what to do."  
Hermione grabbed them both by the sleeves, dragging them through the crowd and down the stairs of the stands. "Come on," she urged. "Follow me."  
"Where we going?" Ron nearly tripped on the second step after stepping on Colin's foot by accident. "Sorry," he grunted.  
They made it down to the doors leading into the field. The rushing sound from the brooms was louder down there; the wind hit them forcefully in the face, nearly knocking Colin down. Hermione kept her eyes on the professors in the stands; the last thing they needed to get caught.  
"What are we doing?" Ron asked, noticing that she had her wand out.  
"Helping Harry," she replied in a duh tone.  
"And how are you going to do that, Miss Granger?"  
The trio froze. Professor Lockhart stared at them quizzically, his fuchsia robes billowed from the breeze.  
"Professor," Hermione said in the high pitched voice she adapted whenever she was around him, "how are you today?"  
"Quite well," Professor Lockhart either didn't notice their guilty faces or didn't care. "And yourself?"  
"Oh, splendid," Hermione blushed. Colin and Ron inwardly gagged.  
"Where you going in here?" Professor Lockhart opened the doors, backing away for them to enter.  
"Thank you-" Hermione's words died on her tongue. The bludger finally hit its target: Harry went flying to the ground. He landed on his side, clutching his arm in pain. The bludger, however, still wasn't done. Like a boomerang, it started to fly back to him. Hermione lifted her wand, shouting clearly, "Finite Incantatem!" The bludger disintegrated into smithereens, to everyone's relief.  
"Harry!" his friends rushed over to him. "Are you alright?"  
"My-arm-hurts-" Harry's teeth clenched. His arm was beginning to change color, it looked a bit disfigured.  
"We've got to get him to the hospital wing," Colin told them.  
"No kidding!" Ron snapped. Hermione smacked him upside the head roughly.  
"Ron!"  
WIth a serious tone, Ron questioned, "Did you get the snitch?"  
"RON!" Hermione wanted to strangle him. "How can you ask at a time like this?" Harry held up the tiny snitch, grinning through the pain.  
'Wicked!"  
"Boys," she muttered, shaking her head. "How's your arm?" she asked Harry.  
"It hurts. Think I broke it," he confessed, struggling to get up. Colin attempted to help him but didn't get a chance to when an obnoxious voice said,  
"Not to worry, I can help!"  
Professor Lockhart stumbled over and bent down. "I can fix this," he smiled, showing all of his pearly white teeth.  
"No!" Harry struggled to inch away from him. "No, I don't want you to help."  
Lockhart laughed. "Delusional, he is," he said to Hermione, Ron and Colin. "Must be from the shock." Hermione seemed to accept this but Colin and Ron rolled their eyes.  
The professor took a moment to examine Harry's arm. "Ah, just as I suspected."  
"What is it?" Hermione said nervously.  
"It's broken," Lockhart deduced  
"Anyone with half a brain could figure that out," Ron said not so quietly. He hissed in pain when Hermione stomped on his foot.  
"I need to go to the hospital wing," Harry said forcefully. "Colin will you help me up?"  
"Nonsense," Lockhart waved his demand away. "I can fix it myself." Before Harry could tell him no, once again, he pointed his wand and murmured a spell that Colin couldn't decipher from reading his lips.  
Colin's stomach dropped when Harry's arm, that Lockhart was holding, suddenly fell limp. Harry's face contorted with disgust and worry.  
"What did you do?" he asked, fretfully.  
"You removed his bones!" Madam Pomfrey screeched. "What kind of imbecile are you?"  
After his disastrous spell, Hermione suggested they go to the hospital wing, this time, Lockhart agreed. The five of them trotted off, ignoring the questions from people who stopped them. Oliver Wood was screaming in happiness while doing a victory dance. Fred and George had been rubbing their victory in the Slytherin's faces, an action that the three chasers of the team had to stop before it escalated.  
Harry laid in the hospital bed, glancing at his arm miserably. Colin was on his right while Hermione and Ron to his left. Lockhart was at the foot of the bed, trying to defend himself against the tyrant known as Madam Pomfrey.  
"My spell malfunctioned-"  
"Why didn't you bring him to me immediately?" At this, Harry, Ron and Colin stared at him pointedly. Lockhart had the decency to look ashamed.  
"I thought I could heal him."  
"Thought you could heal him," Madam Pomfrey scoffed quietly. She examined Harry's arm with critical eyes. "I can mend bones in a second-but growing them back-"  
"You will be able to, won't you?" Harry said desperately.  
"Oh, I'll be able to. But it'll be painful," she sighed. "You'll have to stay the night. I'll bring you some pajamas." She swept passed Lockhart, giving him a disdainful look. This left Lockhart standing there awkwardly.  
"Don't you have somewhere to be, Professor?" Ron said rudely. Hermione gasped at his rudeness.  
"Ah, yes," he straightened himself up. "I have papers to grade. Hope you feel better Mr. Potter." He departed moments later. Hermione rounded up on the redhead, demanding to know why he was being so disrespectful.  
"Did you get any good shots?" Harry asked Colin.  
The small boy nodded. "Do you know how to develop pictures here?"  
The raven haired boy shook his head. "Maybe you could ask McGonagall or Dumbledore?" he suggested. "I'm sure they'd know."  
Colin nodded eagerly. Maybe he could develop them in time to give to his parents and Dennis as a Christmas gift.  
Madam Pomfrey returned, pajamas and vial in hand. "Drink this," she gave him the vial, setting the pajamas down at the end of the bed.  
Harry poured it into his mouth, immediately spitting it out afterwards. It nearly sprayed Colin.  
"It tastes awful," he gasped.  
"Well, what did you expect, pumpkin juice?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed and went to find another vial.  
They stayed like that for a while; Colin and Ron tried to distract him by making small talk and the redhead even refrained from showing his annoyance about Colin. Hermione told Harry how Professor Lockhart hadn't meant it, he just misfired. Harry politely nodded and didn't tell her how he would've rather had Malfoy fix his arm than their dratted teacher. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey shooed them away after the boys helped Harry into his pajamas. They promised to save him some treacle tart and left.  
Later that night, the trio was in Gryffindor Tower, where the entire house was celebrating their win. Some of the older students smuggled some firewhiskey in and wisely hid it from Percy's view. Colin tried to do his homework but Seamus kept distracting him, not in a good way either. He was a bit drunk, tipsy, he was corrected, and the mousy boy learned his Irish friend was very, er, sexual, when he was intoxicated. He would stroke Colin's hair or comment on how he was becoming horny (Colin blushed bright red, having never had someone tell him that before). Thankfully, Hermione made sure he didn't corrupt Colin's innocence. She forced him away much to Ron's disappointment. He rather enjoyed the show.  
It was nearly curfew and the party was still going on. Colin didn't know how anyone could celebrate for so long. One student told him they've had parties that lasted for weeks. Neville joined them, having grown lonely of being just by himself in the dorm. The craziness of the party made him nervous, though. There was yelling and laughing and Colin was pretty sure Fred and George had taken Percy's Prefect badge again; for he was chasing them throughout the Tower again.  
"Is this what I get to look forward to every season?" Colin asked Hermione, warily.  
"Unfortunately," she groaned. "It's so stupid, but try telling them that."  
"It's not stupid," Seamus was coming down off his drunken high and plopped down on the floor, exhausted. "It's tradition."  
Hermione told him where he could stick that tradition.  
"Do you think we can go visit Harry? You know, sneak in and see him?" Colin spoke up before a bicker could start between them.  
"We shouldn't," Hermione disagreed. "Madam Pomfrey told us to come back tomorrow."  
Seamus muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Suck up."  
"What was that, Seamus?" Hermione said sharply.  
"Nothing," Seamus said innocently.  
"As I was saying," Hermione continued, "we can go tomorrow."  
"Poor bloke's probably bored out of his mind," Ron said. "Feel bad for him, Skel-grow's hard stuff."  
"You've had it before, I take it?" Seamus grinned crookedly.  
"No. But I heard that my Uncle Fabian did. Uncle Gideon took out the bones in his legs as a joke."  
Seamus roared with laughter. "That's bloody hilarious!"  
"Right?" Ron grinned as well. "Uncle Fabian got him back, though. Charmed his voice to sound like a chicken when he talked to a girl he liked."  
"They sound like Fred and George," Colin said thoughtfully.  
"That's where mum reckons they got it from. No one else in the family is a prankster."  
Hermione checked her watched, it was an hour past their curfew. "We should probably go to bed," she announced to the still partying common. No one paid her any attention. "I'm in the house of partiers," she muttered.  
It was after one in the morning when the party finally ceased, well after the time that Percy Weasley tried stopping it. Everyone in the castle was in bed, or at least, should be. No one heard a girl roaming around nor her squeak of surprise. She fell to the floor with a thud, her eyes were wide and her mouth was opened as wide as her eyes were.  
She looked...petrified.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, Colin found himself in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom again, luckily for them, Myrtle was still sour over Ron's tactless remark about her still being dead so she didn't bother them. He stifled a yawn. Hermione woke him and Ron extra early so they could get started on the Polyjuice Potion. In the halls they'd heard people whispering about someone getting petrified last night but they didn't know who. The three of them were so focused on the potion they forgot that Harry was to be released from the hospital wing.  
"Oh, well," Hermione said dismissively. "He'll find us eventually."  
An hour later, Harry did find them. He looked tired but somehow wide awake. "Did you hear? Hannah Abbott was petrified!"  
"What?" Hermione and Colin gasped. Ron was puzzled.  
"Who's Hannah Abbott?"  
"Hufflepuff; blonde hair, pigtails. Honestly, Ron. She's in most of our classes," Hermione's voice was stressed. She crossed her legs Indian style. "I don't understand, why would Hannah be petrified? She's a half-blood."  
"Maybe it's not just after Muggleborns," Harry suggested, sitting down as well. "Maybe it's going at random."  
"Or maybe she just got caught in between the crossfire," Colin pointed out. "Just like Mrs. Norris."  
Hermione appeared to agree with him. "That certainly makes sense. I can't see any other reason," she said carefully. She stirred the potion again. "I do hope we find whoever or whatever is doing this," she sighed heavily.  
"We'll find out," Ron said confidently. "We saved the stone last year, right? Who says we can't save them from this?"  
"You never did tell me that story," Colin stated. "I'd like to hear it sometime."  
Harry grinned, the first time that morning. "I will, later," he promised, not noticing Ron's eyeroll.  
"When will this be done?" Ron asked sharply, motioning to the potion.  
Hermione raised her eyebrows but answered nonetheless. "Should be done sometime in December, around Christmas, I expect."  
"Speaking of Christmas," Colin spoke up again. "Harry, mum and dad wanted to know if you're staying over for Christmas? Mum misses you, says to ask if you're eating enough," he rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "I think she's about adopted you."  
Harry felt flattered. "I would love to but-" he was cut off by Ron.  
"But he wants to meet my family," the redhead said stubbornly. "He can see your family any old time you live so close."  
"Ron, I-"  
"Boys!" Hermione's voice was firm. "Have you forgotten that we're interrogating Malfoy on Christmas?He's staying this year as well so we all have to stay this year." She glared at Ron. "No one's going anywhere."  
"I suppose I'll have to ask my parents if they don't mind me staying," Colin frowned. Hermione's face and tone softened.  
"If you have to go, that's all right."  
"Yeah," Ron jumped in. "Quite alright." Colin looked a bit hurt by his comment.  
"Are you feeling okay, Harry?" Hermione hastily changed the subject. "How was your night? Sleep okay?"  
Harry suddenly remembered the important information he needed to tell them and divulged into his tale of what Dobby told him and what he'd heard Professor Dumbledore tell the other professors last night. They listened with their mouths open.  
"It's been open before?" Hermione said, amazed.  
"By who?" Colin asked.  
"Who else?" Ron said in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy opened it while he was in school and now he's taught dear old Draco how to do it. If only Dobby told you what kind of monster was in the chamber; be so much easier to figure out how everyone's getting petrified."  
"Maybe it's a chameleon ghoul," Hermione suggested. "I've read about those-"  
"You read too much," Ron informed her as he poured dead lacewings on top of the leeches. "You should play Quidditch sometime, it relaxes you."  
"There are more things to life than Quidditch," Hermione said, annoyed.  
"So, this chamber, when was it last opened?" Colin asked.  
"I dunno," Harry sighed. "Dobby wouldn't tell me that much."  
Hermione flicked her wand to adjust the temperature and moved the cauldron toward the back of the bathroom. "Done. All we have to do is wait to steal the other ingredients and we'll have a confession by Christmas."  
Weeks passed and December flew in. Professor McGonagall was collecting the names of students who wished to stay for the Christmas holiday. Harry, Hermione and Ron signed the list; as well as Draco Malfoy and his goons. Colin's parents wrote back to him and informed that yes, he could stay, they'd be sending his presents via Hedwig and to tell Harry that they and Dennis missed them both. Colin was overjoyed. The potion itself was halfway done; they still needed bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, which was in Snape's private stores. Hermione proposed that she would do the stealing while Ron and Harry created a distraction in class. During their potions class, Colin had charms. Today it would be Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Colin enjoyed charms, Flitwick was nice and it was a treat to share a class with Ginny and Luna; even though Ginny had been acting oddly since the middle of September.  
Colin sat in his usual seat, waiting for Ginny. She arrived and he smiled at her, but she did not smile back. Instead of sitting together like they usually did, she sat with Damzela Robbins. He felt a little hurt but brushed it off. Luna Lovegood skipped in with her typical dreamy smile on her face.  
"Hello Colin. I trust the nargles have been leaving you alone lately?"  
"Yes, Luna," he grinned. Luna had given him his own pair of radish earrings and while hd did not wear them, he kept them tucked away in his trunk so none of the boys in his dorm would bother them.  
She blinked. "You seem nervous. What about?"  
It almost unnerved him at how she could figure things out like that-or maybe he was just easy to read. His mum said he wore his heart on his sleeve. "I'm not," he lied.  
"You're lying," she didn't appear bothered by this. "Would you tell Ginny? I can go get her."  
"No, no," he said quickly. "It's alright." After making sure no one was listening in, he leaned in and said, "I can't tell you yet but I will eventually. I promise."  
Luna smiled and took her seat. Archie Fletcher ended up sitting next to him; Colin wished he hadn't. Archie was crude and impatient. He refused to pay attention and was quite angry when Colin didn't tell him what he missed while he spaced out. Colin was never so happy as he was that day when class let out.  
"He wouldn't even tell me what Flitwick said! I just missed one thing and he called me stupid!" Archie told his friends after class.  
Colin rolled his eyes and made his way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. He wondered if Harry and Ron were able to make a distraction. Hopefully, they weren't punished. He jostled through the crowd in the hallway, his thoughts wandering to Dennis and his parents. This would be his first Christmas without them. If he was being honest, he was shocked that his parents even said yes to him staying at the castle. The Creevey's were a very close knit family; they did everything together. Dennis would be awfully lonely opening presents by himself on Christmas day. Colin frowned. He'd have to do something to make it up to him.  
He made it to the bathroom without any prying eyes following him. Myrtle was floating above "her" toilet, whimpering and snuffling.  
"Hello Myrtle," he greeted, sitting down in front of the large sinks. "How are you today?"  
Myrtle peered at him through her thick framed glasses. "Why do you want to know?" she hiccuped.  
Colin crossed his legs in criss cross applesauce style. "Because I care," he said simply.  
Myrtle stared at him suspiciously. "No one cares about me," she declared, folding her arms across her chest.  
"Sure they do," he smiled. "Plenty do."  
"Who?" she demanded. "Who cares about me?" Her face was sour but her tone showed curiosity.  
"Well me and-" he froze, realizing he couldn't name anyone else. "Er-"  
"Exactly," she said sulkily, her foul mood returning.  
A very awkward silence descended and Colin kept glancing toward the door, hoping that the trio would come-heck, even Percy or Snape-and save him from having to speak to Myrtle again.  
No such luck.  
He smiled pleasantly at her but the ghost just huffed. He unconsciously caressed his camera, which gave him an idea.  
"Hey Myrtle," he tried to sound cheery. "Mind having your picture taken?"  
"Get that thing away from me!" she shrieked, startling Colin. "Why would I want that? So you can laugh at me?" she sneered. "Well, I won't have it!"  
"Alright, alright," he muttered, tucking his camera away in his bag. "That's a no."  
He felt sorry for her, really. It was really crummy that she was bullied so much that she believed everyone hated her.  
"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to upset you, Myrtle." She looked like she didn't believe him at first, but soon accepted.  
The door burst open and in came the trio, running and breathless. Harry and Ron were white as a sheet and Hermione was clutching a few bags of ingredients.  
"So it worked," Colin stated the obvious. "How did you do it?" he asked Ron and Harry. "What did you do?"  
"Put one of Fred's Filibuster Fireworks in Goyle's potion," Harry was quite proud of himself. "Snape had a fit."  
"Does he know it was you?" Colin watched Hermione throw in the ingredients into the cauldron.  
"No, well, not that he could prove," Harry grinned. "If I ever find out who threw this I shall make sure that person is expelled," he imitated Snape's voice. Ron and Colin laughed.  
"It'll be ready in two weeks," Hermione stated, standing up.  
"Two weeks until we find out Malfoy's the heir," Ron clapped his hands together eagerly.  
"Give it up Ron," Hermione groaned. "We don't know if Malfoy's the heir or not."  
"But we will," Ron said, sporting a smirk. "And what will daddy Malfoy say about his precious son then?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I'd forgotten to say that my username on ffnet is Batmanfan12 and that I don't own HP even tho I wish I did lol  
> And I know it looks like its going to go through each chapter like it has been but it'll break off and become more AU

It was a week later when the trio and Colin were passing the notice board. There was a small gathering of people standing near it, Dean and Seamus being two of them. The two beckoned them over excitedly. "Look! They're starting a dueling club!" Seamus said. "They start tonight after dinner. I'm going."  
"Me too," Dean agreed. "Sounds useful. Are you guys going?" he addressed them.  
"I'm all for it," Harry said. It might help him against Voldemort. Hermione and Ron agreed with him. "You up for it, Colin?"  
The mousy boy thought for a moment. "Sure, why not?"  
It was eight o'clock when they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long tables had vanished and instead stood a small stage. Most of the school seemed to be there, even those from Slytherin, Colin noted.  
"I wonder who's teaching us?" Hermione said as they squeezed to the front. "I heard Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young, maybe it will be him."  
"As long as it's not-" Harry all but groaned when Professor Lockhart's form, clothed in plum robes, strutted to the stage with Snape following him in a more dignified manner. He looked less than pleased to be there.  
"I'd rather have Snape than that dolt," Ron grumbled.  
Colin, being much smaller than everyone else, struggled to see the stage. Harry scooted over and let Colin stand in front of him. The small boy smiled in thanks.  
"Gather around everyone, gather around," Lockhart waved his arms around, motioning for everyone to come forward. "Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to allow us the privilege of starting the Dueling Club!" Whispers began among the students. Some ooed and ahhed while others looked unimpressed, namely the Slytherin's.  
"Allow me to introduce my assistant," Lockhart continued. "Professor Snape!" Snape merely stood at the other end of the stage, not bothering to smile or acknowledge that Lockhart said anything. "He tells me he knows a bit about dueling. I shall see if he's a suitable match for yours truly," he winked at a group of girls, whom nearly fainted when he did so. "But alas! Don't worry. You'll still have your potions master when I'm through." He gave a deep laugh, seemingly oblivious to Snape's curled lip and raised eyebrows.  
"You've got to be kidding me," Seamus muttered, scaring Colin. He didn't notice the Irishman squeeze in beside him. "Everyone knows Snape studied dueling excessively back in his day. Could beat Lockhart six times over, I imagine."  
"Wouldn't it be grand if they finished each other off?" Ron snickered to Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived snorted in response.  
"We're not that lucky."  
Colin stealthily held up his camera and quickly snapped a few pictures before Snape even noticed. Even though it was only Snape and Lockhart, to think, a real duel! Dennis would love to see this!  
Snape and Lockhart faced each other and bowed, well, Lockhart bowed. Snape just jerked his head forward. The men raised their wands in front of them as if they held swords. "Pay close attention as to how we are holding our wands," Lockhart said loudly. And every girl did. The boys rolled their eyes. "On the count of three we will be casting our first spells. We won't be aiming to kill, of course."  
"Shame," Seamus muttered, earning a punch from Hermione on the shoulder.  
"One-two-three-!"  
Coolly and swiftly, as if he did this on a daily bases, Snape pointed his wand straight at Lockhart and cried, "Expelliarmus!" Lockhart went flying off his feet and hit the wall, sliding into a heap on the floor.  
The Slytherin's cheered loudly. The other houses wanted to cheer, too, but they would rather be caught dead than cheer with Slytherin's. Many of the girls, Hermione included, squealed in surprise and worry for the professor. "Do you suppose he's alright?" Hermione said anxiously.  
"Who cares?" Harry and Ron said together. Colin couldn't conceal the grin that forced its way on his face. He wasn't the type of person to laugh at someone else's pain but Lockhart was an exception.  
"Come on Hermione," Harry said. "You've got to admit that was funny."  
"Yeah," Seamus said. "Snape just took him out like it was nothing!"  
"He should have been more careful," Hermione said in disapproval. "He could've really hurt Professor Lockhart."  
"Good!" Seamus, Harry and Ron exclaimed. Colin wisely chose that moment to stay quiet. If it's one thing he's learned, it was that Hermione's anger was not something to mess with.  
Hermione scowled. She turned to Colin, deciding to ignore the boys. "If we're allowed, want to be partners?"  
"Sure," he agreed, smiling. "I'd love to."  
Satisfied, she turned her attention back onto the stage where Lockhart was limping back on.  
"Don't worry, I'm alright," he reassured the worried females. "But ah yes, that was a perfect demonstration of what not to do, Professor Snape."  
The potions professor growled in response.  
"And now I will pair you off into partners! Let's see who will win tonight's challenge," Lockhart said in a mysterious voice. "Let's see now; Mr. Creevey you can go with Miss Granger." Hermione and Colin grinned at each other. "Miss Brown and Mr. Finnigan..."  
"May I make a suggestion?" Snape's silky voice echoed.  
"Yes, of course," Lockhart, instead of paying attention to them, tried to flatten down his wavy hair, unsuccessfully.  
"I believe Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter will make an excellent match," he smirked nastily.  
Colin noticed Malfoy was smiling smugly and Harry's happiness about the club diminished.  
"But Professor S-" Harry started.  
"No buts," Snape said softly, "Surely this isn't a problem. Or, are you...afraid of Mr. Malfoy?"  
The Slytherin's laughed obnoxiously; even some from other houses joined in, though their laughter was much more subdued. Harry's cheeks went red, though, from anger or embarrassment, Colin didn't know.  
"No, sir," Harry said through grit teeth. "That's fine."  
"Good," Snape smirked.  
Lockhart must have given up on his hair, for he straightened up and announced, "Before Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter go, would anyone else like to go first?"  
Hermione's hand was up before he even finished his sentence. Colin shot her a wary look. "Mione, no. I'm not ready," he hastily whispered in her ear, "Please! I'll look like a fool."  
"No you won't," she said quickly. "Just do what Professor Snape did."  
Colin's nervousness did not dissipate; especially when Lockhart beamed and told them to come on up. He and Hermione maneuvered through the crowd to the stage steps, painfully aware that everyone was watching him.  
"On my count," Lockhart said. Colin forced himself to look out into the crowd: Harry, Ron, Neville (who was standing by Dean, how did he not notice him?) Seamus and even Ron gave him a thumbs up. Feeling much more confident, Colin took a deep breath and faced Hermione.  
"One-two-three!"  
"Ex-ex-expelliarmus!" he yelled. Unfortunately, nothing happened. He tried it again but still nothing. He could hear snickering that was probably from the Slytherin's. The other houses, for the most part, frowned sympathetically.  
Hermione, he realized, had tried to stall as long as she could. Given no other option when his spell didn't work, she bit her lip and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" In mere seconds, Colin's wand blasted from his hand and flew in the opposite direction onto the floor. He noticed Harry immediately made a go for his wand before any sneaky Slytherin could.  
"Sorry," she mouthed apologetically.  
"Fantastic, Miss Granger!" Lockhart praised. Hermione's cheeks reddened.  
"Thank you, sir," she murmured. She and Colin hopped off the stage and back to where they stood with their friends. Harry handed back Colin his wand.  
"Thanks."  
Lockhart began a speech about the importance of speaking clearly and correctly when casting spells, a speech that Colin did not listen to. He noticed a small group of Hufflepuffs coming toward them. The Puffs had been extremely quiet since Hannah Abbott's petrification. A tall boy with black hair extended his hand to Harry who shook it cautiously.  
"Name's Justin Finch Fletchley," the boy introduced himself. "Hufflepuff, in your year."  
"Harry Potter," Harry said, shaking his hand.  
"I know," Justin's voice held displeasure. For a moment, Harry looked confused and a bit hurt.  
"Right," Harry said awkwardly. "Er, how are you? This is Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Colin Creevey and Dean Thomas."  
Justin nodded curtly to each of them. "This is Susan Bones and Ernie MacMillian. We're Hannah's friends," his lips were in a thin line.  
"Oh," Harry's eyes widened. He quickly composed himself. "I'm sorry about Hannah," he said sincerely. His friends said similar words.  
"Thank you," Susan smiled weakly.  
Ernie came closer to Harry. He leaned in and said, "You must know what happened, right? You were with Filch's cat. I won't tell anyone." Colin doubted that he was telling the truth.  
"I-I," Harry stuttered. "I don't know. Honest." Ernie looked disappointed and a bit suspicious.  
"Nothing?" he pressed on.  
"He said he doesn't know anything," Colin said quietly, avoiding his eyes. "So leave him alone."  
Ernie made to reply but Susan pulled on his arm. "Come on, Ernie," she said. "Let's go back to our spot." She dragged both Justin and Ernie back to where they originally stood.  
"Thanks," Harry said in relief. "I owe you one."  
"No you don't," Colin argued.  
"Yes-"  
"Shhh," Hermione said impatiently. "He's almost finished." Both boys shut up.  
"...and that is why you must speak clearly," Lockhart finished. He glanced around the hall. "Now, let's bring up Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter!" he clapped obnoxiously as the two boys came up.  
Harry's face was contorted with determination. He clutched his wand and took long strides until he was face to face with Malfoy. "Bow!" Lockhart instructed. They barely did so. "Wands at the ready!"  
"Scared Potter?" Malfoy whispered with a nasty smile.  
"You wish," Harry whispered back fiercely.  
"One-two-" But Lockhart didn't even finish his sentence when Malfoy began. Colin watched Harry stumble back a but quickly composed himself. Harry shouted, "Rictomshapra!" Colin wondered what that would do. He was pleasantly surprised to see Malfoy doubled over, wheezing and giggling like a schoolgirl.  
"He hit him with a tickling charm," Seamus snickered at the blonde's misfortune.  
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted, trying to be heard over the crowd's laughter.  
Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry. "Tarantallergra!" Harry's knees began jerking unconftrobably, as if he were dancing.  
"Stop that!" Lockhart screamed. Colin worried that they might've pushed him to his brink. Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing.  
"They might get detention for this," she bit her lip.  
Snape rolled his eyes and said smoothly, "Finite Incantatem." Harry stopped dancing at once.  
Lockhart was a bit flustered at how his club was starting out. "Thank you for that marvelous demonstration, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy. Now, let's partner up and try casting some unfriendly spells at each other!"  
The student body gawked at him, even Snape had a brief expression of surprise; that quickly faded as he returned to his normal scowl.  
"Are you certain that's wise, Gildroy," he sneered. The defense professor, however, was adamant.  
"Severus, my good man," Lockhart winked, ignoring Snape's growl. "In dark times such as these it's good for the students to practice." Snape pursed his lips but said no more.  
"Partner up everybody!" Lockhart repeated as the students scrambled to do what was told.  
In the end, Harry was with Colin, Hermione with Neville, Ron with Seamus (after he begging Hermione to be his partner) and Dean with Lavender Brown.  
"Wands at the ready!"  
Everyone moved to their own area. Colin and Harry were in the far back near the entrance. Harry really didn't want to hurt the smaller boy so he just casted the tickling charm again. Just like Malfoy, it hit Colin in the stomach. The brunette giggled madly, squirming and hopping on each foot. Colin playfully glared at Harry, who was chuckling in amusement, but his glare was lost its effect from all his laughing.  
"Harry!" Colin shrieked in laughter. The older boy had mercy on him and lifted the spell, much to his relief. This left him panting heavily.  
"That-pant-was-pant-not-pant-funny!"  
"You seemed to think it was," Harry replied cheekily.  
"Alright everyone," Lockhart called. "Bring it in!"  
"Oh, Merlin, what now?" Harry groaned.  
"It appears to me that we need to learn how to block unfriendly spells. Let's have a pair come up and demonstrate for us," he scanned the hall. "Ah, Mr. Potter, come up please."  
"Nooo," Harry groaned. Please don't be Malfoy.  
"And Mr. Malfoy, you too!" Lockhart didn't notice the death glares from both boys.  
"But Professor-" Harry started. Lockhart held up a hand to silence him but Harry wasn't listening. "Please professor! Not Malfoy! Can't Colin be my partner?" Colin smiled widely at his suggestion, his heart warming that Harry wanted him.  
"I'm afraid not." Colin frowned unhappily. "Now, wands at the ready."  
"Professor-"  
"One-two-three!"  
Malfoy bellowed, "Serpensortia!" A long, slimy looking snake shot out his wand, landing in a heap on the stage. Colin bit back a gasp. The thing was huge! Okay, so it wasn't humongous but it wasn't a typical small cornsnake either. The snake peered at Harry with its eyes, mouth wide open ready to devour him for a meal.  
Shockingly, Harry just stood there, motionless. The Slytherins sniggered while the other houses watched in worry and confusion at the sight heir hero frozen. Colin moaned. Do something! Don't just stand there!  
"Don't move Potter," Snape sighed. "I'll handle it."  
"Oh, but allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, looking almost giddy at being able to show off once again.  
"I don't believe that's a wise-" Snape began but Lockhart was already on it. He waved his wand and the snake flew up in the air. It fell back down, hissing with rage. It stood up and bared its fangs toward Justin Finch Fletchley. The Hufflepuff squeaked, pale with fright.  
Harry did something next that would forever change his life. Colin sucked in a breath as he advanced toward the snake, and stupidly shouted at it. Only...  
Only Colin didn't understand him. It was like he spoke a different language. He'd sounded as if he were hissing. Apparently he wasn't the only one. Glancing at back at Seamus, he noticed his Irish friend was staring at Harry with a mixture of horror and shock.  
"What are you playing at?" Justin the Hufflepuff shouted angrily before storming out of the hall with MacMillan and Susan Bones following him.  
"What was that about?" Colin wondered aloud.  
No one answered him though. Ron grabbed Harry by the back of his robe, dragging him out of the hall with Hermione, Colin and Seamus following. Those who saw Harry in the hallway backed away, looking frightened or angry. Colin wondered what in Merlin's name was going on. So, Harry hissed, what was the big deal?  
They found an abandoned classroom. Ron pushed Harry into one of the chairs, his face was a pale, sickly white.  
"How come you didn't tell us you're a parselmouth?" the redhead demanded to know.  
Harry stared at him. "A what?"  
"Parselmouth," Ron said tersely. "You can talk to snakes."  
"Cool!" Colin exclaimed. He shrunk when Ron glowered at him. Seamus sighed, shaking his head. "Or maybe it's not cool..."  
"It's not," Ron said, annoyed.  
"But why?" Colin wanted to know. "Speaking to snakes can't be that bad, can it?"  
Hermione glared warningly at the redhead, who looked like he was about to explode. "It's not a common ability," Ron said with forced calmness.  
"Why?" Colin asked curiously. Seamus intervened before Ron said anything that would cause him to be hexed into the next century.  
"It's misunderstood. There are very few people who have it or had it, rather. All of those have been for the dark side."  
"So everyone thinks Harry's going dark?" Colin said as he understood.  
"Exactly," Seamus nodded. "Salazar Slytherin himself was famous for it. That's why the serpent is Slytherin's symbol." Harry stared at him horrified.  
I can't be going dark...I'm not!"  
"We know that," Seamus said with everyone agreeing. "Have you done this before? Maybe in the muggle world?"  
Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I did set a boa constructor free at the zoo. He said he'd never seen Brazil and-"  
"You talk to a snake and act like it's normal," Ron mused.  
"Harry," Hermione spoke up for the first time. "You really ought to do something about this. Did you see the way Justin reacted? He was very angry."  
"How did he know what parselmouth was anyway?" Ron said grumpily. "Thought he was a muggleborn."  
"Ernie and Susan could have told him," Hermione pointed out.  
"Oh, right."  
"Still," Seamus spoke up, his voice grave. "People'll think you're his descendant pretty soon." Harry nearly choked. "What?"  
The Irishman shifie his weight on his other foot. "Er, well, I mean he did live thousands of years ago. You could be."  
"I can't be," Harry said desperately. "I can't be..."  
It was a blistery, cold day. A blizzard had happened some time during the night. Colin thought the snow covered castle grounds looked absolutely beautiful. He could see why Harry loved it there so much. During the late morning classes had been canceled due to the snow so the students got some free time. Colin wanted to spend it in the library searching for a book on photography for wizards. He hoped it would teach him how to develop pictures at Hogwarts and make them move. Harry was to accompany him. The older boy told him it was risky to go by himself not only because of what was petrifying people, but also because some people (Malfoy) would bully those closest to Harry. And he didn't want anything to happen to anyone, especially Colin who was much smaller than most.  
Before they headed down, Hedwig came swooping in with a letter. It was from Dennis! Colin opened it eagerly.  
Dear Colin  
Sorry I haven't written back, been right busy with homework and chores and such. Mum and Dad miss you still. They're a bit sad you aren't coming home for Christmas. Why aren't you? You can't possibly be expect me to believe that you want to get some extra credit. So what's really going on? I won't tell, I promise!  
Do you have any idea who wrote the words on the wall yet? That sure is creepy. It could just be a prank. Alfie Davis pulled the fire alarm this year because he wanted to scare this kid who was threatening to beat him up. Maybe it's like that.  
Have you taken any pictures? I haven't seen any. I understand if you haven't had the time. Just send them when you can.  
How's Hary doing? I miss him a lot. Mum wants him to come round for summer. She's not taking no for an option. Tell him I expect a letter from him soon. I'm a bit hurt he hadn't written.  
Love,  
Your baby brother  
Dennis  
"That's what I forgot to do!" Harry exclaimed from behind him, scaring the first year.  
"What?" Colin asked after his heart stopped racing. "What did you forget to do?"  
Harry hung his head down sheepishly. "Write to Dennis. I'd been so distracted...I'm sorry I read your letter," his cheeks turned red.  
Colin shrugged it off. "It's no problem. And I know Dennis isn't angry. He just likes to wind people up."  
At this, Harry was relieved. "Oh good."  
They walked side by side down to the library. Harry was lost in thought about from what he read in Colin's letter. Mrs. Creevy really wanted him there. It was hard to believe, after all, he'd only known the Dursleys and they hated him. Mr. and Mrs. Creevey treated him like he was one of their kids. It felt nice.  
"Harry," Colin waved his hand in front of his face. "You okay?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Harry felt himself blush again. He began walking again. "What were you saying?"  
Colin looked amused. "I said did you want to come over this summer?"  
"I'd love to," Harry smiled warmly.  
Colin grinned. "Fantastic! Mum adores you. Dad thinks of you as another son. Of course, you know Dennis loves you. He told me he loves having two big brothers." He knew that meant more to Harry than he let on. He honestly couldn't imagine having no family and being forced to live with relatives that hated his guts. Colin admired ho Harry never let it get to him, at least on the outside.  
Harry grinned the whole walk until they reached the library. Everyone inside glared at him or huddled close together to avoid him. Colin dragged him to the back where the muggle books were. They searched for about ten minutes when Harry excused himself; saying he had to go check up on something on the other side of the library. Colin nodded, his eyes skimming across the titles.  
This is impossible.  
Toward the end of the long shelf, there was a section that wasn't filled with many books. He noticed that on the other side of the book case was Ginny Weasley writing furiously in that diary of hers. She was looking quite upset, he noted. Her cheeks were that famous Weasley red and her hair was all over the place, as if she hadn't brushed it that morning.  
He came around the corner and sat down next to her. She about jumped a foot.  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, wide eyed.  
Raising his eyebrows, he said, "I wanted to see if they had a book on photography."  
"Is Ron here?" she bit her lip worryingly.  
No," her behavior was starting to concern him. "Why?"  
"No reason," she slammed the diary shut. She stared straight into his eyes. "Don't you dare tell him I was here either." Her tone was harsh. He'd never seen her so angry.  
"Ginny," he grabbed her arm when she made a go to leave. "Is everything alright? You've been very distant lately-"  
"No, I haven't," she insisted, glaring at him as if daring for him to disagree.  
"Ginny, please-" she tried to escape and he tried to grab her arm again, only he ended up grabbed her diary from her instead.  
"Give me that!" she screamed, yanking from his grip. Colin was so shocked that he didn't do anything but stand there with his jaw dropped. Madam Price shushed Ginny as she was running out of the library.  
"What was that about?" Harry appeared at his side.  
"I-I don't know," Colin admitted, feeling hurt and slightly embarrassed at the looks he was given by fellow students. "I accidentally touched her diary and she freaked on me."  
"She's just protective of it, that's all." Colin frowned at his aggravated tone.  
"Are you alright Harry? I'm sorry if I upset you..."  
The second year immediately reassured him that wasn't the case. "It's that group of Hufflepuffs," he explained sourly. "Ernie MacMillan and Susan Bones. Ernie's accusing me of being the heir. He says Justin's keeping a low profile because he told me he was a muggleborn. Can you believe that?"  
"I'm sure everything will be alright. They'll see that you aren't the heir soon."  
"I hope so."  
The boys gave up on searching for a book soon after. Harry was much too furious and Colin was still uneasy after Ginny's outburst. They trailed along in the corridor, passing Hagrid who was holding up a dead rooster. Normally they'd stop and have a chat with the half-giant, but not this time.  
They rounded the corner, which was dark due to the extinguished torches. They both gasped loudly when they tripped over something, landing face first on the floor. "What was that-Oh Merlin," Harry breathed.  
Nearly Headless Nick and Justin Finch Fletchley were both frozen, it seemed, with shocked expressions on their faces. Nick was floating up by one of the walls and Justin was on the floor, hence why they tripped.  
"Harry," Colin's voice trembled. "We've got to tell someone. Perhaps Professor McGonagall."  
"You're right," Harry said, panicking a bit. "We'll just tell Professor McGonagall...she'd understand."  
At that moment, Peeves chose to make himself known. The poltergeist came floating out of the wall, tap dancing. He cackled at them. "Potty and Creevey in trouble. Peevsy must tell!"  
"No, Peeves!" Harry pleaded. "Don't, please!"  
"ANOTHER ATTACK! RUN FOR LIVES!" Peeves bellowed.  
"No!" the two boys stared at him horrified. Colin was inwardly panicking. He couldn't get in trouble, not now. What if they go expelled for this?  
The doors to classrooms opened and people ran about. They yelled and cried and the two boys protectively covered Justin so he wouldn't be trampled on. Some students wised up and focused their attention on the scene in front of them. Colin blushed in shame at having so many people staring. Alicia and Katie pushed their way to the front.  
"Colin, sweetie, are you alright?" Alicia asked worriedly. Katie asked the same for Harry.  
"Why are you asking if they're alright?" someone in the crowd yelled astounded. "Look at Finch Fletchley and Nick!"  
"Shut up," she snapped before turning her attention back to Colin. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine," he said tearfully. "Licia I don't wanna get in trouble."  
"I know you don't," she felt so bad for him. "I'm sure you won't" she assured him, though she was uncertain.  
"How about you, Harry?" Katie asked with concern. "Are you okay?"  
Harry gave her a weak smile. "Yeah. Don't worry Katie."  
"What is all this?" Professor McGonagall appeared with Ernie by her side.  
"Caught in the act!" he yelled, pointing his finger dramatically at them.  
"That will do MacMillian," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Before she could talk any further Harry spoke up.  
"Professor, please, we just came across this. We didn't-"  
"This is out of my hands, Potter," she shook her head. "You and Mr. Creevey will have to go see Professor Dumbledore."  
"What?" Colin choked out. "No, please professor!"  
"Is the little baby gonna cry?" someone mocked.  
"Ten gallons says he wets himself," someone else snickered.  
"Twenty!"  
"Thirty!"  
"Enough!" Professor McGonagall bellowed. The crowd quieted down almost instantly. Her stern eyes swept through the crowd, shaking her head in disgust. "I have never been so disappointed in all my years of teaching. Your behavior in most unacceptable. Mr. Lewis?"  
"Yes, professor?" the boy who had first mocked him said.  
"Your remark cost Gryffindor fifty points and you have detention with Filch for a month. Mr. Davis, you lost Ravenclaw fifty points as well and you also have detention for a month but with Professor Snape."  
The boys groaned, protesting.  
"I don't want to hear your excuses," she held a hand up for silence. "Now, Mr. Potter, mr. Creevey, let's go. Everyone else, back to your houses. If I catch anymore disgusting behavior there will be severe consequences."  
Professor McGonagall lead the boys to a nasty looking gargoyle. "Lemon drop," she said to it. The gargoyle hopped aside, allowing them entrance. Colin bit back a sob. This was it. He would be expelled and lose his magic and have to go back to that cruel muggle school where he had no friends. He felt a squeeze to his shoulder. It was Harry. He was trying to be comforting.  
"It'll be okay," he whispered.  
"I hope so," Colin whispered back.  
Professor McGonagall was about to leave but she said Dumbledore would be with them soon. She left the two boys standing around idly in his office, unsure of what to do.  
"Harry," Colin bit his lip. "Are we getting expelled?"  
Harry closed his eyes. He didn't want to worry Colin but he also didn't want to give him false hope. "I don't know, Col."  
Colin sighed miserably. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Harry was eying a brightly colored bird in the corner.  
"What kind of bird is that?" Colin asked curiously.  
"I dunno. It looks sick though."  
Indeed, the bird was drooping, its face plump as if it were going to be sick. WIthout warning, it burst into flames.  
Colin and Harry yelled out in shock. Harry was frozen on the spot but Colin was searching for something to put out the flames. "Don't they have a fire extinguisher?" he asked frantically. He did not find the extinguisher nor did he find any water. The bird didn't even scream in pain. It did, however, shriek once and fell into a heap of ashes.  
"NO!" Colin's stomach dropped. First the attacks, now they'd be accused of letting Dumbledore's bird die on them.  
"Ah, I see it's finally happened." They whirled around to find Dumbledore coming in.  
"Professor Dumbledore-" Harry started. "We didn't do it."  
"He just burst into flames!" Colin added.  
"That's very good to hear," Dumbledore smiled. "I've been urging him to get done with it already."  
"What?" the boys felt a bit light headed.  
"Phoenixes burst into flames to die and become reborn by the ashes. They're very faithful pets. They have healing powers in their tears, you know."  
"So he's going to be alright then? We aren't in trouble?" Harry inquired.  
"Dear, heavens, no," Dumbledore chuckled. His face sobered up and he became serious. "Professor McGonagall informed there me there was another attack and you two were right at the scene."  
"We didn't do anything," Harry proclaimed their innocence. "Honest! We were coming back from the library when we tripped over Justin. We would never do anything."  
"Mr. Potter-"  
"Please professor," Colin was tearful again, fear surging through his veins. "You've gotta believe us! Please!"  
"Mr. Creevey, if you will-"  
"We would never-"  
"Boys," Dumbledore said loudly. "I don't think it was you." This relaxed them.  
"You don't?" Colin said hopefully.  
"No. But do you boys want to tell me anything?"  
Colin thought Harry should tell him about the voices but when the older boy didn't say anything, he didn't either. They bid the headmaster a good day and left hastily to get back to Gryffindor Tower. They had to tell Hermione and Ron about this.  



	12. Chapter 12

It was Christmas Eve and the entire castle was decorated for the joyous occasion. Everywhere you went there was tinsel along the walls, lights spread across the outside, real snowflakes frozen to the windows for an authentic look; and even mistletoe hanging about (set up by the older students, of course).  
The Great Hall in particular was looking lavish. Professor Dumbledore charmed the candles to burn red and green, the aroma of pumpkin and vanilla swept through as people ate and enjoyed themselves. One of the other professors even made it look like it was snowing inside! Colin had never seen such a beautiful display.  
The trio had gone to check up on the potion; apprehensively anticipating their scheme. They were one of the few that decided to stay. All in all, only a few members from each house remained. Most students went home in fear of being petrified, the muggleborns especially.  
Colin sat at the end of the Gryffindor table scribbling a letter to home. He felt guilty for missing out on Christmas with his family but he knew the trio needed him; Hogwarts needed him.  
He spotted Ginny Weasley a few feet down from him. She was writing in her diary, glancing up every so often as to reassure herself no one was watching. He wondered what was so important about that diary. She'd been acting awfully suspicious since school began and her outburst in the library prompted more suspicion from him. He remembered how angry she looked that day. A brief expression of fear came across her face as well. But what did she have to be scared of?  
You did grab her, his inner voice reminded him.  
He shifted uneasily. He hadn't meant to grab her like that. His mum always told him you must be gentle with girls. Perhaps that's why she'd been avoiding him. Yes, that was it.  
He stood up and approached her. "H-hey Ginny," he greeted her shyly. "May I sit here?"  
WIth a swift movement, the book was shut. Her eyes met his and he realized how tired she looked. Under her eyes were dark circles as if she hadn't slept in weeks. "Sure," she said at last.  
"So," he began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I, er, wanted to apologize for that day in the library. I shouldn't of grabbed you like that."  
"Colin-" she started.  
"I didn't mean to touch your diary either," he added, shamefully. "I hope you can forgive me."  
Ginny didn't say anything this time. It looked as if she were fighting an internal battle with herself. "I-I forgive you," she said finally.  
"Fantastic!" he exclaimed cheerfully. She smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes.  
"So," he said much more brightly this time around. "Want to play a game of chess? Or Exploding Snap? I played Harry the other day; he won, not much of a surprise. He's real good."  
"Colin," she interrupted his jabbering. "I don't want to play. I want to be left alone."  
"Oh," his smile vanished. "Right, well I'll just-"  
"Little sister!" Fred and George cried, suddenly at her side. Ginny gave a violent flinch but neither twin seemed to notice. "Let's have a snowball fight just like we used to do at home!"  
Ginny glared at them. She pushed their hands away. "I don't want to," she said sourly. "I was just telling Colin I just want to be left alone."  
"But it's Christmas Eve," George pointed out.  
"And Christmas is a time for family," Fred added.  
They shared a glance and tisked. "Looks like we have another Percy, dear twin," Fred sighed heavily.  
"Seems that we do," George agreed.  
"We'll just have to make you!" they cried happily.  
"What are you?" Ginny started but gave a scream when Fred lifted her up over his shoulder, fireman's style. "PUT ME DOWN!"  
The twins snickered. "I'm afraid I can't dear sister," Fred said with a devilish grin. "Not yet, anyway."  
"If you don't out me down right now I'm going to tell mum," she threatened.  
"So?" they cherished. Colin stifled a snort of amusement.  
Ginny's confidence wavered. "Well, I'll-I'll tell Percy!" she said haughtily.  
The twins laughed which only fueled her anger. "Oh, no! Don't tell Percy!" George mocked.  
"I'm absolutely shaking," Fred did an exaggerated shiver one would get from being in the cold.  
"Put me down!" she wailed.  
Ignoring her, the twins prepared to leave. "Would you like to join us, Colin?" George offered. "It'll be loads of fun!"  
Colin smiled appreciatively. "No thanks. I've got letters to write and I want to get them out before morning."  
The twins shrugged. "Suite yourself," they called as they left with Ginny in tow, who was pounding on Fred's back.  
Colin was about to return to his spot when something caught his eye. It was Ginny's diary. It seemed that she'd forgotten to take it. He could feel his curiosity creeping up and he longed to have a peek at it.  
Leave it alone! It's Ginny's!   
He doubted there was anything inside other than Ginny's maddeningly obvious crush on Harry and whatever else girls wrote about. But still...she looked awfully suspicious whenever she was writing.  
Maybe if he just-  
With a quick motion, he swiped the book, sliding it into the inside of his jumper. He glanced around to make sure no one had witnessed him stealing. Luckily, the few who were in the hall were busied with their own activities to even care. He hurried out, bustling to the bathroom. He burst right in and was disappointed to see that no one was there except for Myrtle.  
"Did you see where they went?" he asked the ghost.  
She looked miffed that he was interrupting...whatever she was doing.  
"No I haven't."  
She floated away, whimpering. Colin sat down on the floor criss cross style. He knew it was wrong but he wanted to know why Ginny was so obsessive about it. One peek, he promised, one peek and he'd leave it alone.  
His eyebrows nearly flew into his hairline when he found that the pages were empty.  
Empty. How could they be empty? Ginny wrote in the diary every chance she got. Colin had been sure it would be almost full.  
Yet it wasn't.  
Frowning, he made to close it but something stopped him, it nearly made him drop it. In the middle of the page three words popped up out of nowhere on the paper.  
Hello Colin Creevey.  
The words faded away, leaving Colin more confused then ever. Diaries could talk to you? He had to tell Harry about this and quick.  
He slid the diary back into his pocket, scurrying out of the bathroom. He began running in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. That was the only other place he was sure the trio would be. Unfortunately, his journey was interrupted when he slammed right into Ginny.  
"Sorry!" he cried, trying to get away but she yanked him by the arm.  
"Where is it?" she said in a dangerously calm voice.  
"Where is what?' he tried to sound nonchalant.  
"My diary!" she went into hysterics. "You have it! You have my diary!"  
"No I don't," he lied.  
"Yes you do!" she shoved him, sending his small body to the floor. "You have it and I want it right now!"  
"Miss Weasley!"  
The two first years turned to see Professor McGonagall with her hands on her hips. Her lips were in a thin line. It was clear she was cross.  
"Miss Weasley, what is the meaning of this?" the Transfigurations professor demanded. "WHy are you assaulting a fellow student?"  
"I-I-I," Ginny stuttered. "I didn't I just-"  
"You shoved him and screamed in his face," Professor McGonagall shook her head in disappointment.  
"He deserved it!' Ginny insisted.  
"And pray, tell, how did Mr. Creevey deserve that kind of treatment?"  
"He took my diary!' Ginny sent him a dirty look.  
"I highly doubt Mr. Creevey would do such a thing," Professor McGonagall said, making Colin feel even more guilty than he already did. "Do you have proof?"  
"Well, no," Ginny admitted. "But I know it was him!" she said stubbornly.  
"No you don't. You're accusing," Professor McGonagall corrected. "I'm afraid I'll have to take fifty points for shoving and another twenty five for screaming. Miss Weasley, you have detention with me for a week."  
Ginny's jaw dropped. "That's not fair!' she screamed.  
"Another twenty five for more disruption. Your fellow Gryffindors will be most disappointed when they find out how many points you're losing your house."  
Having no other choice, Ginny shut up. Professor McGonagall bid them a goodnight and a merry Christmas before retreating away. The redhead gave him another nasty glare before she, too, left.  
Colin was feeling very crummy as he headed up toward the tower. The trio was waiting for him in the common room. Hermione was reading a very large book and the boys played Exploding Snap.  
"Hey Col," Harry said cheerfully. In a quieter tone, he added, "The potions nearly ready. We'll take it tomorrow after dinner."  
"Okay," Colin said miserably. He pulled out the diary from his pocket and fell back into one of the plush chairs.  
"Hey, that's my sister's diary!" Ron said angrily.  
"I know," Colin said in a monotone.  
"You stole it!' Ron's face was turning the infamous Weasley red.  
"I know," the first year repeated.  
Hermione frowned. "Why did you take Ginny's diary?"  
"I wanted to see if there was anything suspicious inside it," he explained, weary of Ron's glare.  
"And was there?" Harry wanted to know.  
"Sorta."  
"What do you mean sorta?" Hermione shut her book, propping herself up with her elbows.  
"All the pages...they were empty," Colin revealed. "And suddenly, it said Hello Colin Creevey. Like it was waiting for me to find it."  
"Can I see it?" Hermione asked immediately.  
"Sure," he tossed it to her.  
She skimmed it anxiously. "I don't like it. I don't like it at all. We need to give this to Professor Dumbledore."  
"Why? It's just a dumb diary. Besides it's my sister's," Ron yanked it out of her hands. "You lot are just being paranoid!"  
Harry, always the peacemaker, pacified the redhead. "Ron it's okay. Let me look at it and I'll give it to Ginny myself. Okay?"  
He never got an answer. The portrait door slammed open and in came Ginny. Her hair was messed up as if she'd been through a whirlwind and her chest heaved as she huffed.  
"What's got your knickers in a bunch?" Ron asked.  
"He!" she pointed a long finger at Colin. "Got me detention and made me lose one hundred points!"  
Ron's scathing glare turned on the first year. "Why did you do that for, Creevey?"  
Colin usually shrunk down whenever someone was angry at him but remembered what Harry had been telling him. You've got to stand up for yourself. He stood proud and tall, shocking everyone when he glared back at him.  
"She shoved me and screamed at me. She got her own self in trouble."  
Ron spluttered. If looks could kill, Ginny would've murdered him four times over. Hermione and Harry shared a proud smile.  
"I'm really tired of you always being rude to me. What have I done to you? Harry is my friend and I'm sorry if you feel jealous. I'm not here to replace you so I'm sorry if you feel that way. But I want to be treated with respect. You treat everyone else better than you treat me and I want that to stop," Colin took a deep breath at the end. He caught Harry's eye. "Too much?"  
"Not at all," Harry grinned. He slung his arm around the younger boy's shoulders. "I'm proud of you."  
"Arrrrag!" Ron stormed up to their dorm. They heard the door slam shut.   
Ginny left in a similar dramatic fashion, retreating to her own dorm. Hermione just blinked, returning to her book with a roll of her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

Colin was sleeping peacefully until he felt someone shaking him roughly. He jerked awake to find Harry's face inches from his own. He gasped. "Don't do that!"  
Harry grinned slyly. "Sorry," he snickered. "You should've seen your face."  
"Shut up," Colin mumbled, rubbing his face. Propping himself on his elbows, he asked, "What are you doing in here, anyway? Pretty sure second years aren't allowed in the first year dorms."  
"You needed to get up," Harry shrugged. "Hermione's orders."  
Colin chuckled. Typical Hermione. "Merry Christmas, Harry." He reached over his bed and handed Harry a medium sized parcel. "Open it." The older boy blinked, evidently not expecting the kind gesture.  
"You didn't need to get me anything," Harry protested.  
"Too bad. Now open it."  
"Bossy git you are," Harry grumbled good naturedly. He ripped the wrapping paper off, eyes widening in recognition. "It's a book about owls," he stared at the small boy. "But how?"  
"You like it?" Colin grinned, pleased with himself. "Asked Hagrid to go to Diagon Alley for me."  
"I love it," Harry hugged the book to his chest. "Thank you, Col!"  
Colin leaned forward to hug the older boy, feeling proud of himself for getting a gift he liked. "I have something for you too!" Harry told him happily. "Wait right here." Colin waited patiently as he scurried back to his own dorm and raced back, panting. "Here," he came in carrying a large something-Colin couldn't identify what it was. "What is it?" he raised his eyebrows.  
"Open it," Harry encouraged. "Go on."  
Colin got out of bed and gently ripped the wrapping paper off. He was stunned to say the least, after it all came off.  
"An owl," he whispered softly. "You got me an owl."  
It was beautiful. Pitch black with deep orange eyes and a large mouth. Colin reached his fingers through the cage to pet its cheek. The owl nuzzled against his hand, cooing. He felt his heart swell with love.  
"You aren't the only one asked Hagrid for a favor," Harry chuckled.  
"Thank you," he felt tears brimming in his eyes. "Thank you so much, Harry. I love it!"  
"You're welcome," Harry pulled him in a hug, which the other boy accepted. "I figured you use one so you don't have to keep borrowing Hedwig. Not that I mind," he added quickly. "It's a girl and you can name it whatever you want."  
Colim thought for a moment. "How about Tawny? You like that sweetie?" The owl-Tawny-hooted in reply.  
"Owls are pretty smart," Harry commented. He opened the cage. "Go to the owlry with Hedwig," he told Tawny, who almost seemed to nod and flew off.  
"This is the best Christmas ever," Colin sighed happily.  
"I know the feeling," Harry grinned. "C'mon, let's get breakfast."  
The boys headed down to the Great Hall, chatting along the way about prior Christmases. "Last year, Dennis and I baked a bunch of cookies but I messed up the time so they all burned," Colin half frowned. "Dad nearly wet himself when the fire alarm sounded."  
Harry snickered quietly. "I set off the fire alarm when I was six by accident when I was cooking dinner for my relatives."  
Colin scowled just like he always did whenever Harry brought up his unfortunate upbringing. "Why were you cooking at six years old?" he demanded, taking Harry aback by his harsh tone.  
"Col, it's okay," Harry tried to placate him. "I like cooking."  
"That's not the point," the younger boy protested, his features softening. "Doesn't Dumbledore know about this?"  
Harry squirmed, beginning to feel uncomfortable by the conversation. "Well, he knows they don't like me," he replied truthfully. "But I don't think he knows about everything else." 'Everything else' was Harry's offhand way of saying abuse, well, to Colin it was. Harry still refused to believe the Dursleys did anything more than neglect him.  
"You should tell him," Colin said softly as they rounded the corner. "He needs to know." His face lit up like a Christma tree. "Maybe he'll let you come live with us!" he said excitedly. "Mum, dad and Dennis adore you."  
"Maybe," Harry agreed, liking the idea.  
"Then it's settled," Colin declared, grinning like a loon. He clapped his hands together gleefully. Harry laughed and ruffled his hair.  
The boys entered the hall with rumbling stomachs. They spotted Hermione and Ron several feet down the table. The brunette was reading, of course and their redheaded friend was stuffing his face, occasionally pieces of food fell out of his mouth and onto the table. Hermione brightened up when they sat down, her face clearly pleading with them to save her.  
"Good morning Hermione," they chorused. "Merry Christmas!"  
"Morning Ron," Harry added when their friend looked miffed at being left out.  
"Morning Ron," Colin said awkwardly. Ron blatantly ignored him and his presence altogether. "What's the plan for today Harry?" he asked. Hermione just shook her head at his rudeness.  
"Good morning Colin, Harry," she said pleasantly. "And Merry Christmas! I have presents for you both. They're in my dorm."  
"You got me a present?" Colin said in awe. Hermione seemed surprised at his question. "Of course I did," she said. "I always get my friends presents."  
Colin thought he would burst from happiness. "Oh, guess what?" he said happily.  
"What?" she said, smiling.  
"Harry got me an owl!" he crowed. "I named her Tawny. She's so pretty."  
Hermione turned to Harry. "So you did get him the owl. I assumed you would."  
"Tawny's perfect for him," Harry reached for a bowl of porridge. "The shopkeeper told Hagrid she's smarter than the average owl. Some kind of rare breed, I think."  
"Interesting," Hermione nodded as she listened along.  
Colin was watching Ron intently. Every so often they'd have eye contact but the redhead would immediately stare somewhere else. He decide to initiate a conversation. "Ron," he said quietly. "I have something for you too. It's in my dorm. I'll bring it to you later."  
Ron tried not to look too interested. He grunted in acknowledgement.  
"I hope you like it," Colin continued casually.  
The day passed agonizingly slow. The trio and Colin had a snowball fight that lasted all afternoon. Fred and George Weasley joined in mid fight. They enchanted the snowballs to target Ron, something that he wasn't amused by.  
As Colin observed everyone laughing and having a great time, his thoughts wandered back to a time prior to the arrival of his Hogwarts letter. A time when he was friendless and labeled as the neighborhood weirdo. Dennis had been his only true friend, which didn't exactly count since he was his brother.  
Colin threw a curveball and it hit Harry's face just as he was turning around. He wore a blank expression and for a second Colin thought he was angry. He was prepared to apologize when Harry's face contorted into a wide mischievous grin and he leaped after Colin, snowballs in hand.  
"I'm gonna get you!" Harry laughed. He chased Colin all over the grounds with the smaller boy squealing in delight. He easily dodged Harry's incoming missiles, one of the perks of being tiny, he realized.  
"No you're not!" Colin called over his shoulder, smiling teasingly.  
Hermione giggled at them. She was glad they were enjoying themselves. Ron was just hoping they could get back to their real fight. He was also very curious to find out what Creevey got him. The twins, meanwhile, catcalled at the two boys. Unbeknownst to them, they took Colin's camera and snapped pictures of the two after they learned how to work it, courtesy of Hermione.  
Harry finally managed to catch up to Colin; he threw his body on him, careful not to squish him. They landed in a heap in the snow, giggling madly. Colin, in the midst of his laughter, turned over to face him. They grinned at each other briefly before the younger wizard threw himself at Harry and they rolled around on the ground, wrestling.  
"I've got you!" Colin cried triumphantly.  
But Harry had the upper hand. He scooped Colin in his arms and over his shoulder just Fred had done to Ginny the previous night. Colin cried out, "Put me down!" But his demand lost its effect by the bubbling laughter he produced.  
Harry brought him all the way back up to the castle. He'd never enjoyed himself so much as he did that day. The Dursleys never allowed him to play in the snow; Diddykins whined that he would vanish the snow away and ruin his day. So he was kept inside until it melted. Or until Dudley grew bored, which happened more often.  
Harry eventually did put Colin down, after teasingly taunting him. And they did resume their mega snowball fight. Hagrid even joined in. His massive snowballs knocked them down to the ground. It was a very good day.  
Finally, their hour came. They hastily ate their dinner, glancing at the practically empty Slytherin table. Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy were in a huddled conversation, talking so low they couldn't hear. Millicent Bulstrode and Blaise Zabani sat alone. They looked so unpleasant Colin wondered if they ever smiled.  
Afterwards, the trio and Colin headed toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The potion bubbled, sounding much like a hiss. Hermione grabbed three vials and was about to leave, promising to come back with the hairs.  
In the meantime, the boys chatted. Ron was shockingly friendly, not displaying any malice he was showing earlier. Colin hoped this meant a step toward friendship. He liked Ron. Ron was a great friend when he wasn't in a mood. Harry had mentioned all summer how he couldn't wait for Colin to meet his two best friends. Colin liked Hermione. She was smart and a wonderful companion. He was very amused to find out that the trio hadn't become best friends right away; due to Hermione's attitude rubbing them the wrong way.  
Colin drifted away from their talk when Ron and Harry began discussing racing brooms and Quidditch. He was a halfway decent flyer and liked very much to be up the air but Quidditch didn't interest him. He was more than happy to watch, though.  
Hermione came rushing back in, cheeks puffed out and red. "I've got it," she breathed, holding up the vials.  
"Finally," they jumped to their feet. She poured them all a cup, adding their respective hair to each cup.  
"Bottoms up," she said, trying to sound cheerful. In a one, two, three, they pinched their noses and chugged the potion in two very big gulps.  
Colin had never tasted anything so disgusting in his life. It was like mold and cabbage. His insides felt like they were withering up and his stomach churned. He felt like he was going to vomit. A burning sensation came across him, like hot wax. Next, came the feeling of change. He shot up a few feet, his hair shot toward his scalp, and his skin darkened. Without looking at anyone else, he shot toward the mirror at the sinks.  
"Whoa," he said at last.  
"H-Harry," Ron squeaked from behind him. He was touching his cheeks in horror.  
"Wow," Harry said from inside Goyle's body. "We look-"  
"Like Slytherin's," Colin finished, nearly jumping at the startling sound of Zabini's puberty induced voice.  
"Hey, where's Hermione?" Ron said suddenly, glancing around.  
"I'm in here," she said from in one of the stalls. "Go on without me."  
"But Hermione," the boys said in unison. "We need you!"  
Harry tapped on the stall door. "Are you alright?" he asked. They heard rustling from inside along with a flustered splutter. Still inside the stall, she said loudly, "Just go on without me. Please."  
They shared a glance before obligating. "Okay," Harry said. "We'll be back in an hour."  
It was near curfew when they set out. The corridors were bare and eerily silent. One could not even hear Peeves who was usually floating around searching for trouble. Harry, Ron and Colin tiptoed around the corner with careful eyes as to make sure they didn't run into any prefects. Colin checked his watch absentmindedly and was alarmed to see that nearly half an hour had gone by.  
"Harry," he said anxiously, "it's nearly been half an hour. Are we getting any closer?"  
"Er-" Harry stopped in the middle of the corridor, feeling helpless. "I think it's down there," he pointed straight ahead. With no other choice, they moved forward. Colin inadvertently smiled and waved at a Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater, that they passed by. He'd forgotten he was in Zabani's body so he was bemused when she actually scoffed, muttering about slimy Slytherins.  
"She just doesn't know it's you," Harry reminded him.  
"Right," Colin said, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks.  
"Oh, no," Ron said with sudden urgency. "It's Percy! Hide!" Indeed, they could see the silhouette of the elder Weasley as he strode toward them, though, he seemed unaware of their presence.  
"How?" Harry said desperately. "I don't have my cloak."  
Oh, for Merlin's sake," Colin muttered. He grabbed them by their wrists, which was a tad hard since Crabbe and Goyle had thick arms, and led them to the wall which was clouded by a ray of darkness. They blended in perfectly with their black robes.  
Percy came strutting up and halted abruptly , his left side facing them. The boys held their breath, praying with all their might they wouldn't get caught.  
"Go, go, go," Ron kept muttering.  
"Shut up," Harry hissed. "He'll hear us."  
Luckily, up ahead something made a noise that caught Percy's attention. "You there!' he called pompously, his flashlight shining straight. "Come back here!" And so he chased after them, careful that his badge didn't fall off during his run.  
They all let out sighs of relief. "Now let's find the Slytherin common room before we run out of time," Harry advised.  
"Crabbe! Goyle! Blaise!" a familiar voice barked out from behind them. "There you are! Thought I had to send out a search party."  
"Oh-Malfoy!" Colin hung his mouth down stupidly.  
Malfoy stared at him contemptuously. "I think you've been spending too much time with Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise," he drawed. "Their stupidity is rubbing off."  
Colin's heart pounded. He couldn't mess up. "You-you're right," he said lamely.  
"Of course I am," Malfoy scoffed. He turned around and began walking away from them, leaving the three boys standing there. He halted when he realized no one was following him. "Well?" he snapped. "Are you coming or what?"  
"Oh!" They rushed yo his sides, with the blonde rolling his eyes and muttering about having idiots for friends.  
"So," Harry said, his voice an octave higher than normal. "Having a nice holiday, Malfoy?"  
"We spent the whole day together, surely you should know I have, in fact, have not had a good holiday!" Malfoy said through grit teeth.  
"Oh...er, right," Harry said.  
Malfoy led them to the portrait hole. "Pure-blood," he spoke lazily and the portrait grant them entrance. The blonde plopped down ungracefully on the couch, sprawling out. Harry and Ron took seats on the chairs across from the couch while Colin remained standing. The Slytherin common room was certainly different than their own. For one, the lights were dimmed and all the statues inside were of snakes. Colin didn't know how anybody could enjoy themselves in there.  
"Say, Malfoy," Ron piped up. "Do you happen to know who the heir is?"  
Malfoy growled. "I already told you, Crabbe, I don't. How many times must I repeat myself?" He threw a pillow from the couch at Ron, erm, Crabbe, who gasped in surprise.  
Harry was careful with his question. 'Do you have an idea of who you think it is?"  
Malfoy seemed pleased by Harry's question. His lips curled up in a smirk and he said, "Well, I do know it's not Potter."  
"Really?" Colin said. He assumed Malfoy would be the first person to accuse him. "Why have you been calling him the heir, then?"  
"It's fun," was the blonde's only explanation. "But you've got to be really powerful and let's face it; Potter's anything but powerful," he laughed mockingly.  
"That's true," Ron chimed in. "He's stupid, clumsy, really messed up, an embarrassment to the whole wizarding world-"  
"I think he gets it, Crabbe," Harry glared daggers at his friend.  
"I wonder what's terrifying everyone," Colin commented idly. "Can't be the heir."  
"Well of course not," Malfoy snapped. Calming down, he explained, "The heir can tell the beast to do it but the beast is the one that actually does the petrifying," his smirk widened. "Or killing."  
Colin shivered.  
"Father says fifty years ago, a mudblood died when the beast was released the first time."  
"Do you think it will happen again?" Ron inquired.  
"I hope so. My monies on Granger or Creevey," he said with relish.  
A flash of hurt crossed Colin's face but he quickly composed himself. He noticed Ron and Harry were equally as angered. "Why is that?" Harry said, trying to control his temper. "Why them?"  
"Why not? They follow Potter around like a lost puppy. Granger's just an annoying, know it al mudblood and could Creevey be anymore pathetic? Did you see how he cried when I broke his camera?" Malfoy laughed again. "Too bad he got it fixed. I would've loved to see him cry some more."  
Colin flt a surge of fury. Malfoy wanted him dead and crying?  
"It's too bad they don't put all the mudbloods in Azkaban like father recommends," the blonde said thoughtfully.  
"Azkaban?" Harry said before he could help himself.  
"The wizarding prison," Malfoy said slowly. "Honestly, Goyle, it's a wonder you didn't fail first year." He shook his head. "As I was saying, father thinks that's where they all belong. Ha, like they'd last. Creevey would wet himself."  
Colin felt his cheeks go red. His hands rubbed his cheeks to cool them down. He was alarmed to see his hands were turning back to their pasty white. No, he realized with horror, their hour was up!  
Harry and Ron were changing back, too. Harry's hair was growing and becoming messier; Ron's hair was changing back to red and his nose grew. Thankfully, Malfoy was engrossed with his own thoughts he barely paid them any attention.  
They jumped out of their chairs, excusing themselves by lying about not feeling well and they all three sprinted out the common room, dashing down the hall. Colin felt himself shrink which nearly made him trip. No wonder Polyjuice wasn't taught for the early years.  
They made it back to the bathroom as they transformed back completely. Colin leaned against the sink for support as he caught his breath. "That was wicked," he grinned. He felt like a rebel.  
"That was dangerous," Harry pointed out.  
"At ;east we got some info," Ron said.  
"That's true," Harry agreed. "Hermione!" he called. "We're back."  
"Go away," came her wail. "Just go!"  
"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked Moaning Myrtle who was floating about and oddly enough, giggling.  
"Oh it's dreadful."  
"Is she okay?" Colin said worryingly.  
Myrtle cackled. The sound of the stall unlocking was heard and out stepped Hermione. Colin gasped and took a step back. She was covered with fur and on her face were whiskers. He could see she also had a tail.  
"That wasn't Millicent's hair," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It was her cat!"  
"Sounds like she has a furry little problem," Ron snickered. Harry and Colin shared a look before they elbowed the redhead's side's  
"Ow!"


	14. Chapter 14

The next couple were much of a blur for Colin. Hermione stayed in the hospital wing for quite some time due to her, as Ron ever so tactfully stated, furry little problem. Madam Pomfrey was kind enough to let them stay a little long than usually allowed. Her absence left Ron, Harry and Colin to themselves. The redhead was a bit kinder to him now since he'd given him his Christmas present; a Chudley Cannons book with stickers. He still had his moments of hostility, but it was better than when they'd started.  
It was now New Year's Eve. Colin had always enjoyed the day because his family would prepare lots of food and watch the telly an hour before midnight. Dennis had never been able to stay awake until the new year, he always fell asleep beforehand. Colin was excited to be able to celebrate with his Gryffindor friends. The Weasleys never did much for New Year's so he was determined to share his traditions with them. Harry, of course, never did anything either. Those muggles always kept him locked up while they celebrated with friends. Hermione was the only who shared some of the traditions she did with her parents.  
It was morning when he approached them at the table for breakfast. "Morning," he said cheerfully. They all greeted him back in some way or another, be that mumbling (Ron and Harry), normally (Hermione) or overly excited (The twins).  
"I've got an idea for tonight," he told them importantly. The twins and Ron looked curious. Harry blinked while Hermione was the only one who looked like she remotely knew what he was referring to.  
"What's tonight?" Ron said with confusion.  
"New Year's Eve, Ronald," Hermione sighed.  
"Oh," the redhead yawned.  
"What's your idea, Colin?" she asked, smiling.  
"What if we have a party!" he beamed. They stared at him, ranging from interested to bemused. "We can have food, hangout and count the last ten seconds until midnight! It'll be fun!"  
"That does like a good idea," Hermione agreed. "We can invite Luna as well."  
"Yes!" he grinned, pleased that they liked his idea. "What do you guys think?" he addressed the boys.  
"I'm all for it," Harry told him. "Ron?"  
"You said there'll be food?" Ron said hopefully. Colin giggled and nodded. "Let's do it!"  
"Boys," Hermione rolled her eyes.  
"What about you two?" Harry said to the twins.  
"Sounds wicked," they chorused. "Where is this party going to be at?"  
Colin thought about it for a moment. "How about in Gryffindor Tower?" he suggested.  
"But then Luna can't come up," Hermione pointed out. "None Gryffindors aren't allowed."  
"They can if a prefect says so," Fred grinned. He jerked his head down the table a bit. "Oi! Percy!" he hollered. The elder Weasley's head bobbled up at hearing his name. He hurriedly jumped up and rushed over.  
"Yes?" he was readjusting his badge on his robes. "What seems to be the problem?"  
Fred and George put on their best sweet smiles. "We were wondering, Percy-" Fred began.  
"Since it is New Year's Eve and all-"  
"If we could do a little something special-"  
"Like a party!" they exclaimed.  
This wasn't quite what Percy expected. His brows furrowed and he looked quite confused. "A party?" he repeated. They nodded, grinning. "Why?"  
"Just to celebrate the new year," George explained.  
"Yeah. We could host it up in Gryffindor Tower and maybe-"  
"If we get a prefect's permission of course-"  
"We could open it up to other non Gryffindor students."  
Percy seemed to consider it. "What else would be involving this party?"  
Colin chimed in. "We'd just have food and hangout. Muggles do it all the time."  
"It's perfectly safe," Hermione promised. "You could be there, too."  
"Bring a friend," Ron wiggled his eyebrows. "Or a girlfriend."  
"You know very well I don't have one," Percy said stiffly, though his cheeks colored. He sighed at their pleading expressions. "You promise it will be safe?"  
They nodded.  
"And you won't go lurking the corridors?"  
They shook their heads.  
"And no truth or dare?" he said sternly.  
Another head shake.  
"Very well," he said. "You can have your party. I'll open the tower up to others. Who else were you wanting to have?"  
"Just Luna Lovegood," Colin told him. "She's a Ravenclaw. And whoever else you want."  
"Very well," he nodded. "I should be getting back to my breakfast."  
"Thank you!" Colin called. He smiled slightly in acknowledgement.  
"I can't believe he said yes," Ron muttered when he was out of hearing distance. "He never says yes to parties."  
"Well, they did ask politely," Harry spoke up. "You know, politely for the twins."  
"Still," Ron said, shaking his head.  
"How are we going to get the food?" Hermione wondered aloud. "We aren't allowed in the kitchen."  
"Just ask one of the house elves to make it," Fred shrugged.  
"They'll be happy to have something else to do," George added.  
"Must be bored without making tons of food for the students," Fred yawned and stretched his arms.  
Hermione gasped as an idea came to her. "Why don't we invite the house elves to the party? I'm sure they'd love to come," she said jovially.  
"That's a great idea, Hermione!" Colin grinned. But the Weasley's didn't think so. The twins shook their heads in disapproval.  
"You can't ask a house elf to a party!" they said as if the idea was ludicrous.  
"Why not?" Hermione wanted to know.  
"That's saying they're our equals," George explained. "And house elves never want to be treated as equals."  
"It makes them feel they're being disobedient to their master," Fred took a bite of an apple.  
"That's why Dobby cried when I told him to sit down," Harry recalled.  
"Exactly."  
"By the way, Harry, have you seen him since the Quidditch game?" Ron stuffed a piece of toast in his mouth.  
"No," Harry denied. "I wonder where he's gone," he said thoughtfully.  
Fred nudged George. "Can you imagine if Dobby was invited?"  
George snickered. "Harry's picture would be up everywhere and we'd all be saying "All hail Potter" and bowing."  
"Absolutely not," Harry said sternly, his cheeks reddened.  
They argued over it for ten minutes before Colin became bored with the conversation. He excused himself and went off to search for Luna; heeding Hermione's warning to be careful in the corridors.  
He searched the library but it was pretty much abandoned except for Madam Price. He briefly thought about going up to Ravenclaw Tower but thought better of it. It wasn't like he could actually go inside. So he shrugged it off, deciding to visit Hagrid. He hadn't seen the half-giant in a little anyway. He rushed back up to his dorm where he grabbed his hat, gloves, scarf and jumper. Just as he stepped foot outside, a chill ran through the air, causing him to shiver. Most of the snow caused by the blizzard had melted but there was still a great deal left.  
Colin wrapped his thin arms around his small frame as he trekked through the grounds. He was halfway to Hagrid's hut when he noticed a small figure by the Black Lake. He instantly recognized it to be Luna by her shaggy blonde hair.  
"Luna!" he took off running. He didn't notice the patch of ice in front of him until it was too late; he squealed when he lost his balance and fell right on his back. "Owww," he groaned when pain shot through his body.  
Luna calmly approached him. "You seemed to have slipped," she stated, offering her hand for assistance.  
"Just a bit," he marveled at her strength. She easily pulled him up, as if he weighed nothing. His eyes wandered to her feet when he noticed something was off. "Luna! Why aren't you wearing any shoes? You'll get hyperthermia!" he fretted.  
But Luna didn't worry. "I don't have them right now."  
"What do you mean you don't have them?" he demanded. "What happened to them?"  
"Someone took them," she said matter-of-factly with a hint of a frown at her lips.  
"Why would someone take your shoes?"  
"Oh, people take my stuff and hide them. It's a game, I think," she brushed a piece of her blonde hair from her face, daintily wrapping it around her ear. "I don't mind, though."  
Colin felt angered that she suffered bullying like that. Luna didn't deserve that! She was so nice and sweet. "That's terrible! Have you told Professor Flitwick?"  
Luna shook her head. "I don't want to bother him. I'm sure he has more important matters than that of an eleven year old."  
"You need to tell him," Colin's voice was soft. "He needs to stop this."  
Another chill flowed through. Luna shivered visibly and this time, Colin noticed her jumper was missing too. Without another thought, he pulled his own jumper off, handing to her.  
"This is yours," she stated.  
"Yes," he agreed. "Take it."  
"Why?" now she was confused.  
"You're cold."  
"But you will be too," she countered. "What's the use of us both being cold?"  
Her question stumped him. "My mum says a gentlemen never lets a lady be cold," he stood up tall, trying to look authoritative.  
Luna unexpectedly giggled. "You look awfully silly like that," she told him. Colin rolled his eyes fondly.  
"So will you take it?" he asked. If she said no, he'd back off. Mum said arguing with a lady was a bad idea.  
"Okay," she agreed. "But only if you allow me to hold you close. That way you won't be cold either." She said it so casually that Colin wondered if she planned this. Nevertheless, he agreed.  
"Okay." It didn't sound too bad anyway; being snuggled up to his best friend. Luna put the jumper on and without warning, wrapped her arms around him, cuddling him to her body. Colin was a few inches shorter than she was, so he only came up to her chest. His eyes became as wide as saucers and his cheeks turned red when he realized his cheek was resting on her developing bosom.  
"Ah Luna-" he squeaked.  
"Hmm?" she glanced down at him.  
"I'm on your-you know," he wanted to die of embarrassment at that moment. But Luna didn't mind.  
"That's okay," was her reply.  
"Okay," he muttered. It actually felt kinda nice-not the bousum part-being snuggled up close. Luna's arms warmed him up and made him feel safe. He felt her fingers raking through his hair gently.  
"You have tangles," was all she said as a way of explanation.  
I forgot to brush it this morning, he remembered.  
Luna sighed serenely. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She was referring to the lake. A thick sheet of ice covered it. The ice was shiny and shimmering. It reminded Colin of an ice skating rink.  
"It really is," he wished he'd brought his camera. Oddly, he didn't even think about taking it this morning. He assumed because he was so excited to tell the others about his party idea. The party! He'd almost forgotten.  
"Say, Luna?"  
"Hmm?" she hummed.  
"We're having a party in Gryffindor Tower. Percy's opening the tower up to anyone and I wanted to know if you wanted to come?" he smiled up at her.  
"You really want me to come?" her blue eyes were wide.  
"Of course," he reassured her.  
"I'd love to!" she beamed.  
"Fantastic!" Colin hugged her and she reciprocated.  
"Colin?"  
"Yes, Luna?"  
"You're a good friend," she said softly.  
Colin's heart swelled. "You're a good friend, too," he whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

The party would turn out to be a success. The six of them-Harry, Colin, Hermione, Ron, and the twins- spent the afternoon decorating the Gryffindor common room. Hermione and Colin had asked for decorations as to make it feel more authentic. They asked Percy where they could get some and he suggested they ask the Muggle Studies professor. Professor Burbage was her name. The professor was delighted that they were partaking in a muggle tradition and so she gave them what she had-streamers. But she was nice enough to conjure up balloons, a boombox, hats and a clock so that they count the last ten seconds on.  
The twins took the liberty of asking the house elves to prepare the food; claiming they had connections down there in the kitchens. The head elf promised them they'd start preparing after dinner. They ended up with many different types of finger foods; with the reassurance that the plates were charmed to never run out unless the host says that the party was over. Ron repeatedly asked the name of the spell.  
Colin absentmindedly laid the streamers about; hardly able to concentrate. His frame of mind was clouded by the events of the morning. Luna's arms around his thin frame created feelings he couldn't explain. His heart had pounded so fast he was sure she'd heard it. He was sweaty too, which was odd around this time of year. And her hands in his hair felt soothing. Colin wouldn't mind it happening again. Focus, he mentally berated himself, shaking his head. WHat was wrong with him? It was just Luna. Maybe he would ask Hermione later. For now, they had a party to adhere to.  
"I think it's all ready," Harry stated, looking the place over. "I have to say, I was skeptical."  
The twins gasped. "But the Boy-Who-Lived is always optimistic!" they cried, attacking their surrogate little brother in a tight family hug.  
"Get off!" Harry laughed, trying but struggling to push the taller, and heavier, boys off him.  
"I agree with Harry; it looks great," Hermione admired their work. The last person you'd expect to be all for a party was Hermione Granger, yet, she helped the most in preparing. Perhaps the rule breaking finally loosened her up. Her attention diverted to the corner where Ron was currently indulging himself in the food. "Ron!" she put her hands on her hips. The redhead stopped eating to stare at her. "What?" he said. "I'm hungry. Hermione groaned but gave up. Ron was a hopeless case. With her attention back on the group, she noticed the odd look on Colin's features. "Colin," she spoke up suddenly. "Are you alright?"  
Colin snapped out of his daze, a blush forming as he said, "What?"  
Hermione giggled. "I asked if you were alright?"  
"Oh!" he smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine, just thinking a lot that's all."  
Fred nudged George, snickering. Harry even tried to hide his laughter but failed. Colin was confused. He turned to Hermione for help; the witch rolled her eyes. "What are you all laughing about?" Colin tilted his head.  
"What are you thinking about?" George shot back, wiggling his eyebrows.  
The first year was taken aback. "Nothing important."  
The twins sniggered. "Who are you thinking about?" George reiterated.  
"No one," Colin squeaked out.  
"Oi, guys. Leave him alone," Harry said, his laughter having subsided. They pouted.  
"Aw, but Harry!"  
"We must know how long Colinkins here has held affection for Luna!"  
"Yeah, Harry. Aren't you curious?"  
"No," Harry said firmly. They argued for a good five minutes. Colin, meanwhile, stood rooted on the spot, feeling shocked and confused.  
"What are they going on about?" he asked Hermione. "Why are they asking me about Luna? And what do they mean about holding affection for her?"  
"Well," Hermione began delicately, "Fred and George saw you in her arms this morning by the lake and they seem to think you have a crush on her."  
"No, no, no," he moaned. "They got it all wrong."  
"Oh, did we?" the twins stopped arguing with Harry, listening attentively to Colin's words. "And just how did we get it wrong?" They were much taller than he was, therefore, a bit intimidating.  
"Someone took Luna's jumper and shoes," he paused when Hermione gasped. Harry and the twins looked furious. "So, I gave her my jumper so she wouldn't be cold. She insisted she hold we close so I wouldn't be cold without it. I wanted her to take it so I agreed."  
"Why didn't you just come inside?" Harry said with amusement.  
Whatever Colin was going to say, it died on his lips. Why didn't he go inside? "I...I didn't think of that," he admitted. Harry laughed.  
"I think he wanted to touch her," George muttered to his twin.  
"George!" Hermione reprimanded sternly. "He's eleven years old!"  
"So?" he was not impressed with her logic. "They're starting early!"  
Colin listened to the exchange, not comprehending the older boy's words. "Mione," he said innocently. "What's he talking about?"  
"Nothing Colin," she dismissed, shooting George a glare. "Don't worry about it."  
"He still didn't answer our question," George insisted.  
"He doesn't have to," Hermione argued.  
"You know!" he accused. "You know his answer!"  
Hermione gave an "Argg!" of frustration. "No I don't and it's not my place to tell!"  
George fastened his gaze on Colin. "Do you like Luna?" He and his twin waited for his answer.  
"Of course I like Luna." George and Fred whooped, crying out, "We knew it!" "She's my best friend."  
Harry smirked while Hermione didn't bother to hide her smug expression. "That's it?" the twins said. "Just your best friend?"  
"Yes," Colin said slowly. They looked disappointed.  
Harry chuckled, glancing at the clock. It was five after ten. "Might want to get Luna, Col. It's already after ten."  
"Oh!" Colin exclaimed. "I said I'd meet her at the Ravenclaw Tower." He hurried out the portrait hole and down the stairs, careful not to trip. He pondered the twins' words, dmissing them with a scoff.  
Luna's just my friend. I could never like her like that...  
Don't get him wrong; Luna had every quality his mum and dad said a girl should have. She was intelligent, quirky (his dad suggested that one), kind, compassionate, down to earth, and lastly, she was very pretty. She was definitely girlfriend material; just not for him.  
Colin strolled through the corridor, every once and awhile glancing back behind him. The whole chamber and petrification was getting to his nerves. He was fine during the day time but it was night and the sun had long gone down. The soft ray of the moonlight soaked through the windows, creating a white blanket in the darkness. Colin swallowed down his fear and told himself to be brave like Harry.  
Was this similar to where Mrs. Norris and Hannah Abbott were petrified? Alone in a dark hallway? Colin wondered if it hurt, or did the fear of whatever the monster was completely paralyze their body to where they were just laying numbly on the ground. He shook the thoughts away. Mum was right, he needed to stop watching those old horror movies.  
He was nearly halfway there when he heard a crunch from behind him. His heart dropped to his stomach while his brain scrambled to find words. "H-hello?" he said tentatively, refusing to turn around. Those old movies taught him something: you turn around you die.  
There's nothing there...there's nothing there.. He tried to console himself. I'm just imagining things.  
Another crunch. A yelp escaped his throat and he began walking faster. There were footsteps that followed him and they seemed to be mimicking Colin's movements. He wished with all his might Harry was with him. He would know what to do. Colin rounded the corner, nearly ramming into the wall. Whatever, or whoever, it was, still followed him.  
An owl flew right in front of him, screeching loudly. It almost made him drop dead on the spot. Terrified, he took off in a run. The footsteps quickened their pace. Colin let out a shriek as his face collided with something rough. He fell on his back, panting and gasping.  
"What are you doing, Mr. Creevey?"  
Colin stared up into the eyes of a very irritated Professor Snape.  
"S-sir! Something was following me," he stuttered.  
"Following you?" Snape repeated.  
"Yes!' Colin insisted. "Behind me!" He gestured.  
Snape stared straight ahead, not impressed. "Mr. Creevey, I see nothing. Shall we try the truth now?"  
"I'm serious!" he squeaked. "It was following me! And when I walked faster it got faster too!"  
Tutting softly, Snape said, "That will be twenty points for lying." Colin's eyes widened. "But-" he started but Snape cut across. "And another twenty for bumping into me." Colin groaned. "Another twenty for being out past curfew and ten more for complaining."  
Colin's face crumpled. He just lost Gryffindor seventy points in a matter of minutes. "But sir," he protested weakly. "Us Gryffindors are having a party for New years and Percy Weasley opened up the Tower for others. I'm going to get my friend Luna."  
"A party, you say?" Snape sneered. "Was this approved?"  
"With our prefect, yes."  
Snape growled.  
"Do make your way to Miss Lovegood in a reasonable time and get back to your common room immediately. It isn't safe to be roaming around like a dunderhead." He sharply turned, robes billowing in the air.  
"But sir," Colin called as he walked away. "Why are you walking around?"  
"That will be another ten points for your cheek, Mr. Creevey," Snape said silkily.  
Colin sighed as he watched the potions master disappear from view. Everyone was going to hate him when they came back later that week. With that, he continued on; every so often checking behind him.  
He reached the Ravenclaw Tower nearly forty five minutes after ten. He found Luna waiting outside the door. She beamed when he came into sight.  
"Oh, hello Colin! I didn't think you were coming," she greeted him.  
"Sorry, Luna," he apologized. "Long story."  
They began walking toward Gryffindor Tower. "Daddy says it's good to talk than build up your emotions," she told him.  
"He's right," he acknowledged. He slumped down a bit, feeling embarrassed. "I thought someone was following me...and I ran into Snape. He said there was no one and he took eighty points off Gryffindor." He held his head in his hands. 'Oh, Luna! What am I to do? The others will hate me for sure!"  
"No they won't," she said. "If house points ruins a friendship than it was never a real friendship."  
Colin pondered her words. No wonder she's a Ravenclaw.  
"And I don't think that's the only thing that's bothering you," she observed.  
"It is," he avoided her eyes.  
"No it isn't. You're avoiding my eyes, you're jumpy and your cheeks are awfully red."  
"It's stupid," he muttered.  
"Was it Ron?' she guessed. He shook his head.  
"No. It was Fred and George." She didn't look surprised, but Colin could tell she was intrigued.  
"What did they do? Did they prank you?"  
"No," now he was starting to feel uncomfortable. "They, er, saw us by the lake." Luna blinked. "With me in your arms," he elaborated.  
"Ah. So they teased you." It was a statement, rather than a question.  
"Yeah," he hung his head down. "They think I have a-" he trailed off, blushing.  
"A what?" Luna's blinked again.  
"Acrushonyou," he mumbled.  
"I don't think I quite heard you. Can you speak up," her tone wasn't mocking so he proceeded.  
"They think I have a crush on you," he said louder. He expected her to wrinkle her nose in disgust or laugh or even blush. But she did not.  
"Well do you?' Her question caught him off guard.  
"No! I mean...Luna, you're one of my best friends. I don't like like you," he tried to explain. Luckily, she did not become offended.  
"That's okay. I don't like like you either," she giggled.  
It was even when they got back to Gryffindor Tower. Colin was ambushed by Hermione. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. "We thought something happened! I kept telling Harry he should go see if you were okay but he said wait it out. Honestly, you'd think he'd have some sense with the petrifications! So what happened? What took you so long? Oh hello Luna! How are you?" she said all this in one breath. Colin looked from her to Ron and Harry, who shrugged, and back to Hermione.  
"Mione, it's okay," he reassured her. "I just ran into Snape and me and Luna had a long chat," he ignored the snickers from the other boys and the oos from the twins. He'd purposely neglected to mention he thought someone had been following him. No need to scare her.  
"Really?" she looked relieved.  
"Yes," he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes.  
After that, the party really got started. Hermione played sixties tunes on the boombox. She and Ron argued over the music , of course.  
"Why can't we play something cool like the Weird Sisters?" he crossed his arms.  
Hermione stomped her foot angrily. "Ronald! This is a muggle party. Muggles don't listen to the Weird Sisters."  
Luna was off grabbing a drink for the two of them when Colin began a conversation with Harry. "Can I talk to you later?" He asked.  
Harry nodded. "It's about what really happened while you were gone isn't it?"  
Colin looked stunned. "How did you-"  
"I could tell. We can talk after the party, okay?"  
Colin nodded, feeling thankful for such an observant friend.  
"Colinkins!" the twins approached him, grinning maniacally.  
The first year leaned close to his friend, whispering, "Should I be scared?"  
"I would," Harry whispered back.  
"See that girl over there?" Fred pointed.  
"Percy brought her," George added.  
Colin looked to where Fred had been pointing and was bemused to see a familiar face laughing along with the redhead. "Penelope?" he murmured.  
"We think she's his girlfriend," George said. He looked at his twin and they burst out laughing.  
"As if he'd get a girlfriend," Fred said in between his laughter.  
"That's not very nice," Colin scolded them. They weren't abashed, however. They laughed again, disappearing to the other side of the room.  
"Hermione's tried too. They're a lost cause," Harry sniggered.  
Luna returned. "Would you like to dance Colin?" she asked after she gulped down her drink. "'Sure," he grinned.  
She handed Harry her empty cup and his filled one and headed out to the dance floor with arm-and-arm. Hermione changed the song and soon Colin's favorite song from Michael Jackson started playing.  
"I took my baby on a Saturday bang..."  
"I love this song!" he said happily.  
Luna obviously had never heard the song before but he could see her mouthing the words. Colin slid his hands into hers and they boogied to the music. Luna laughed and smile all the way.  
Awww, so cute," the twins said teasingly. Percy whacked them both on the head.  
"Leave him alone," he said exasperatedly. "They're eleven."  
The twins smirked, rounding up on him instead. "Who's she, Perce? Your girlfriend?' they wiggled their eyebrows.  
Percy flushed red. Penelope giggled, kissing his cheek. "Oh, just tell them, Percy."  
"Tell us what?" they demanded.  
"Penelope, er, Penny," he corrected himself when she glared at him, "and I are dating," he said in his most pompous voice.  
Fred and George busted out in laughter, which nearly drowned out the music.  
"That's-"  
"Hahaha a good one-"  
"P-Percy haha!"  
Percy's mouth was clamped shut and set into a pout.  
"Hey Gred-"  
"Yeah Forge?"  
"Maybe we can start calling him the Pouting Prefect?"  
"That's it!" Percy shouted. He chased the twins all over Gryffindor Tower, with Penny watching them in amusement.  
"Are you enjoying yourself, Luna?" Colin thought that even though her face was sweaty and shining from the light, she still looked very pretty.  
"Oh yes! I've never been to a party before," she sighed happily. "I can't wait to tell daddy all about it."  
Colin was pleased to hear this. "What do you and your dad do for New Years?"  
"Oh, nothing, really. Sometimes we go nargle hunting but it's usually too cold. Do you always have a party?"  
"No," he twirled her around. "Usually me, Dennis, mum and dad just eat lots of food and watch the telly until midnight. Dennis usually falls asleep."  
'I'd love to meet your family sometime. They sound wonderful," The song changed again and this time a very familiar song came on. Cheers came from Colin, Hermione and even Harry.  
"Have you gone mad?" Ron looked at the three of them. "What's wrong with you three?"  
"It's Footloose!" Hermione uncharacteristically shrieked happily.  
"What?" Ron looked physically ill. "Who's foot is loose?"  
"It's just the song's title," Colin explained, stifling a giggle. "It's the best!"  
"I've been working so hard! I'm punching my card! Eight hours, for what? I've got this feelin'-that time's just holdin me down. I'll hit the ceiling or else! I'll tear up this townnnn!"   
Colin and Luna danced together. Harry and Hermione danced together with Penny dragging Percy away from chasing the twins and onto the dancefloor. Ron stepped away from the food long enough to try and copy some of their dance moves. Even the twins joined in.  
Everybody had a fabulous time. When the song ended, they leaned on to one another, panting.  
"That was fun!" Harry gasped.  
"I agree," Hermione pulled her hair away from her sweaty neck.  
Penny checked her watch. "Oh, Merlin. I should get back," she glanced at her boyfriend apologetically. "I'm sorry I can't stay. Thanks for inviting me, Percy," she kissed his cheek to which he blushed.  
"No problem, Penny. Shall I walk you there?" he asked.  
"No thank you. I can manage." She bid everyone goodbyes and thank yous before departing out the portrait hole.  
Colin excused himself from dancing, promptly falling on one of the plush chairs. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully at him.  
"Tired?"  
"Like you wouldn't believe."  
"You know," Hermione sat down beside him. "I think Luna's coming out of her shell." She pointed to where the blonde was mingling with Harry and the twins.  
Colin smiled, feeling proud of her.  
"Say, Hermione," he began with uncertainty.  
"Yes?" she focused her attention on him.  
"You don't think I have a crush on Luna, do you?" he felt his cheeks turn red when she looked surprised.  
"Not at all."  
"Okay," he breathed.  
"Do you?" she pressed.  
"No!" he denied. "Not at all.."  
"Okay," sh eyed him critically. "Oh! There's ten seconds left."  
Ten.   
"If you do have a crush on her, it's okay. It's normal to like your best friend," she stated.  
Nine.  
"But I don't," he insisted.  
Eight.   
"Okay," she said calmly. "But honestly, don't let the boys get to you, especially the twins."  
Seven.   
"Alright," he stared ahead at the smiling blonde. There was no way he could ever like like her.  
Six.  
Absolutely no way, he decided.  
Five.  
He played with a stray piece of streamer. He still felt uneasy from earlier. He knew someone had been following him...but who was it?  
Four.  
Maybe it was Malfoy. He obviously had it out for him.  
Three.  
It made sense, after all. He hated muggleborns and especially, him. He did say he was pathetic.  
Two.  
The portrait door opened and in came Professor Dumbledore accompanied by Professors McGonagall and Snape. Everyone stopped talking and dancing, with the only sound being the music in the background.  
"There's been another attack," Professor Dumbledore announced to the silent common room.  
One...


	16. Chapter 16

The common room was deathly silent, even, it seemed, the music had gone muffled. Colin felt the blood rushing to his ears and all other sounds were irrelevant. Professor Dumbledore's face was grim, as was Professor McGonagall's. Snape was his usual scowlin self; though, this time his glare was in Colin's direction.  
"Who's been attacked?" Percy ushered Colin and the trio to stay behind him. Ron usually argued with his brother about being treated like a baby; but this time he compiled without a word.  
"Miss Clearwater," Professor McGonagall replied with a sigh. The air became so thick you truly could've cut it with a knife. Colin was torn between feeling horrified and depressed. How could that have happened to her?  
"She was attacked as she was going to her common room," McGonagall further explained. "We aren't sure if this was planned or merely a wrong place at the wrong time instance."  
Percy's face was crestfallen. His reflection of self control fell for a split second and Colin no longer saw a prefect who was full of authority, but a sixteen year old boy whose girlfriend was petrified and he could do nothing in his power to reverse it. He felt a little sorry for him if he was honest.  
"O-okay," Percy choked out. "I-I-I see."  
"Would you like to see her, Mr. Weasley?" Professor McGonagall asked quietly. Percy could only nod and as he left, Colin was startled to see tears springing out of his eyes. Colin had never seen another boy cry except for Dennis-it was a bit unnerving to see.  
"Poor Percy," he heard Hermione say sympathetically. "I can't imagine how he's feeling."  
"Yeah. I'd be upset too if I wasn't getting shagged," Fred said under his breath. Colin blinked in confusion.  
"What does shagged-"  
"Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall reprimanded sternly. Addressing Colin, she said, "Never mind that, Mr. Creevey. It doesn't concern you."  
Colin didn't fancy getting a detention to start the new year, so he did as he was told.  
"Now, all of you," Professor McGonagall said. "I want you all to stay in your common rooms and do not come out unless it is for meals and classes when they start again. You will be escorted to your meals by a teacher unless otherwise notced. Miss Lovegood, I will gladly bring you back to your tower."  
Luna detangled herself from the group, thanked them for the invite and kissed Colin on the cheek. The boys were so stunned by the recent events they didn't even tease him. "Professor, you happen to have many nargles above your head. Are you aware..." Luna's voice gradually drifted as the portrait hole closed. Professor Snape and Dumbledore followed, talking quietly amongst themselves.  
"Well, we're going to bed, night all," Fred and George winked at each other before making their way upstairs. Colin and the trio knew that sleeping was the last thing they were going to do but they couldn't bring themselves to care at this moment in time.  
"We've got to find out who's behind all this," Hermione stated.  
"But who could it be? We've already ruled out Malfoy," Ron helped himself to some more finger foods. "We 'ave nothing," he said in between a bite.  
"Malfoy isn't the only person in this school, Ronald," Hermione said irritably.  
"Who else do you think it could be, Hermione?" Ron demanded.  
"I don't know!" she snapped.  
"Stop!" Harry put himself between the two, glancing apprehensively. "We're not going to get anywhere by arguing"  
"Harry's right," Colin insisted. "There's got to be another way to find the heir."  
The foursome thought for a moment.  
"We've got to go back to the library," Harry decided.  
"But Harry! Professor McGonagall wants us in our common rooms," Hermione looked pained at breaking more rules.  
"Haven't we been to the library enough?" Ron complained. "What's in there that's gonna help us, anyway?"  
"Just trust me," Harry requested. "I've got a plan." Hermione and Ron shared a look. "What?"  
"Harry," she said delicately, "your plans...well they-"  
"They're mad," the redhead blurted out, causing his raven haired friend to glare. "What? It's true."  
Harry didn't have the chance to give a rebuttal, however, because Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape reappeared in the common room. "Might I see Mr. Creevey for a moment?" Dumbledore requested kindly.  
Colin's stomach dropped. "W-why?" he said fearfully.  
"Just want to talk to you, m'boy, that's all."  
Colin glanced back at the trio, Harry and Hermione tried to smile encouragingly but he knew they were just as confused. For once, Ron actually looked somewhat concerned for him. "Just go," Harry beckoned him. "We'll be right here when you're done."  
Colin followed the headmaster and potions master out in the hall. He was sure his heart was going to pound out of his chest. What could they possibly want?   
"Sir," he began nervously, "What's this about?"  
"Calm yourself, Mr. Creevey. You aren't in trouble," Dumbledore reassured, patting him on the shoulder. Colin sighed in relief. "We do, however, want to ask you a couple questions."  
"Such as?" Colin shifted from one foot to the other.  
"Is it true you left your tower this evening to retrieve Miss Lovegood for your party?" Colin gulped at his intense stare.  
"Yes, sir," he answered truthfully.  
"Is it also true you suspected someone was following you?"  
"There was!" Colin ignored Snape's sneer. "I know there was."  
"Headmaster, I didn't see a single soul behind him when he so graciously ran into me," Snape's black eyes narrowed.  
"It was an accident," Colin said. "I didn't mean to." Snape soffed.  
"Severus," Dumbledore's face turned stern. "I'm sure Mr. Creevey is right, it was an accident. Now, why would something be chasing you, do you think?"  
"Maybe it's the heir," he said without thinking, causing both men to stare. "Makes sense, doesn't it? It wants me because I'm a muggleborn and friends with Harry!" His face faltered. "But now it got Penny instead."  
Dumbledore shared a look with Snape, a look that made Colin's insides fill with dread. "Mr. Creevey, I don't believe that's the case," he disagreed, though he didn't sound certain what he was saying was true. "Are you sure you didn't just imagine it?"  
Colin couldn't believe this. Imagine it? He'd imagine a lot of things before, like monsters under his bed. That definitely wasn't imagined. "No sir. I don't think so." Dumbledore wasn't convinced and he knew he'd have to talk this over with the trio. They'd listen.  
"M'boy, it was dark and quiet. You could have easily misinterpreted things. Professor Snape says he saw no one behind you. Now why would that be?"  
Colin thought it over, realizing he didn't have an answer. Why would that be? Was the monster invisible? It couldn't have just been hiding-Snape would've seen it when he walked down. Or was it just a Slytherin trying to have a good time? The questions burned a hole in his head. "I don't know, Headmaster," he said at last.  
"Because there was no one there," Snape sneered. "Bloody Gryffindors. Always wanting a chance to save the day." Colin ignored the jab. He lost Gryffindor enough points, no need to lose more.  
"Is that all Headmaster?" he asked politely.  
"Yes, Mr. Creevey. Have a good night and happy new year!" Dumbledore pulled out a pointy hat from his pocket and stuck it on the top of his head. He held one out for Snape. "Would you like one, Severus?"  
"No thank you, Headmaster," Snape snarled. Colin suppressed a giggle with difficulty. The mere mental image of Snape in one of those hats...he let out a snort of laughter, catching the potions master's attention.  
"Think that's funny, don't you?" Severus loomed over the tiny boy.  
"Severus," Dumbledore chuckled. "No need to become angry, m'boy! Come! We must celebrate!" Colin watched them walk, or in Snape's case, stomp, down the stairs until they were out of sight. He sighed heavily. Some new years party. With a shake of his head, he muttered, "Draconis." The portrait opened and the trio jumped up from their seats.  
"You're alive!"  
"Ron, of course he would be. Oh, Colin, you're not in trouble are you?"  
"What did Dumbledore say to you?"  
"I'm fine and no I'm not," Colin untangled himself from Hermione's embrace again. "He just wanted to know why I was out earlier."  
"That's it?" Harry pursed his lips skeptically.  
"Yeah," he lied.  
"He's not angry at us for the party is he?" Hermione asked, suddenly anxious.  
"Not at all," he reassured.  
"Mione, I don't think Dumbledore's ever gotten angry," Ron rolled his eyes.  
"Anyway," Colin interrupted before they could argue again. "That's all he said but he tried to get Snape to wear a pointy hat for New Years," he giggled uncontrollably.  
Harry and Ron roared with laughter, clenching their stomachs. At first, Hermione pursed her lips at their immaturity but soon found herself laughing as well.  
"What did he say to that?" Ron asked, smirking.  
"No thank you, Headmaster," Colin mocked through his giggles.  
"Why do we miss all the fun stuff?" the redhead complained to Harry.  
Their laughter was short lived. Hermione pulled them back into focus about the attacks. "We need to find someone who was around fifty years when that muggleborn died. Maybe they would know who did it," she said to them thoughtfully.  
"But who do we know who was around fifty years ago?" Harry sighed.  
"Well, there's Dumbledore, McGonagall..." Hermione began listing off names Colin did not know.  
"What about Hagrid?" Ron piped up, cutting the bushy haired witch off. "Wouldn't he have been in school then?"  
"Yes," her expression was one of surprise. "Yes, I suppose he would be." Ron grinned smugly.  
"See, I can contribute."  
"We should ask Hagrid about the muggleborn who died," Harry suggested, suppressing a yawn. "Tomorrow."  
"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione was doubtful. "Professor McGonagall won't let us out and besides, who says Hagrid knows anything, anyway?"  
"We won't know until we try," Harry shrugged.  
"Right, well, we should be getting to bed. It's awfully late," Hermione was shocked when she glanced at the clock, reading that it was after one in the morning.  
Ron yawned. "I wonder what they'll have for breakfast?" Hermione and Harry shared an exasperated look.  
"Only you could worry about food during a time like this," she muttered.  
"It's important," he protested as they went winding up the stairs. "Harry," he turned back to face the raven haired teenager and Colin. "Aren't you coming?"  
"In a moment," he promised. His two friends stared back for a few extra seconds before they eventually went up to their respective dorms.  
"So," Harry said when he and Colin sat on one of the couches, "what did you want to talk about?"  
Colin twiddled with his thumbs, avoiding the older boy's eyes. "I wasn't exactly truthful earlier.."  
"Oh?" Harry's mouth twitched. "About what?"  
The first year was bursting with guilt. "When I was out on the way to get Luna, I thought someone was chasing me." Harry's mouth dropped a little. "I ran into Snape but he said no one was behind me and he took eighty points off and I'm so sorry for lying Harry. Please don't be mad at me," he pleaded. Harry was his best friend in the whole world, particularly an older brother. Colin wouldn't know what to do if he was angry with him.  
Harry took a deep breath and Colin braced himself for the scrutiny to come. Instead, Harry commented, "Do you think it could've been Malfoy? He seems to want to humiliate you so bad."  
The small boy nearly cried in relief. Harry wasn't mad at all. He actually looked worried. "That's what I thought but it didn't sound right. What if it was the monster?" Colin bit his lip, looking every bit of his age. Most of the time Harry forgot that he was younger because he tended to act older. But right now, he had a fearful glint in his eyes that reminded Harry of how he must've looked when he dealt with the Dursleys at a young age.  
"It attacked Penny," Colin continued in a small voice. "It could've attacked me. Oh, Harry, it could have! What if I'd died like that muggleborn fifty years ago?!" his voice was reaching hysteria while he wrung his hands nervously.  
"Col." Nothing, he seemed to not hear Harry's words. "Col," he tried again. Still nothing. "Colin!" Harry grabbed the younger boy's shoulders, forcing him to stare into his eyes. "Calm down. You're alright. It's not going to attack you."  
"How can you be sure?" Colin's voice cracked a little.  
"Because I'm Harry Potter," he replied simply.  
Colin smiled weakly, latching himself in Harry's arms. With his head tucked under his chin, he murmured, "Thanks Harry."  
"No problem, Col," Harry kept his grip tight. "I'm not letting anything happen to you, okay? Dennis would kill me," he mumbled the last part under his breath.  
Colin gave a weak chuckle in agreement. Dennis was fiercely protective of him.  
"So, what else did you want to tell me?" Harry griminced at the pins and needles feeling in his leg; Colin was leaning on his upper thigh, cutting off the blood supply.  
"Oh, that," Colin wiggled out of Harry's arms. "Well, I really think we should have another look at that diary."  
"Why?" Harry's eyebrows flew into his hairline. "There's nothing written inside."  
"Don't you remember Christmas Eve? When I said in the middle of the page it said Hello Colin Creevey?"  
By the look on Harry's face, it was evident he'd forgotten. "How do you forget something like that?" Colin said incredulously.  
"Er, wasn't thinking about it?" Colin rolled his eyes.  
"Hey, I've got a lot on my mind this year," Harry defended.  
"You can't use that excuse. It's a new year," Colin grinned cheekily.  
"Oh, shush it you," Harry mocked scowled then yawned seconds later. "We should really get to bed.."  
"Wait!" Colin cried when his friend rose to his feet. "Do you still have the diary? We need to go through it again."  
"I do," Harry said slowly.  
"Can you go get it? Please?" Colin begged. He watched Harry open his mouth and close it.  
"I'll be right back."  
Harry left, returning minutes later with the diary in hand. "I'm not sure how much use you'll get out of it," he informed him.  
Colin plopped back down, flipping through the book with hungry eyes. He landed on a page in the middle, it, as Harry expected, was blank.  
"Is there a moral to your bright idea?" he said dryly.  
Colin ignored him. "Do you have a quill?"  
For the second time that night, this time with a bit of grumbling, Harry trudged up to his dorm. He came back down, throwing the quill into Colin's outstretched arms. "I really don't understand the point you're trying to make," Harry stated.  
"You'll understand soon enough," Colin said cheerfully. He wrote inside the diary, "Hello. My name is Colin Creevey."  
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish..." Harry trailed off, breath hitching in horror and amazement. Colin's words faded away, with a new set appearing.  
Hello Colin Creevey. Are you alone?   
"See?" Colin said, pleased with himself. "I told you."  
"That you did," Harry murmured. "What are you going to do with it? We should really bring it to Dumbledore."  
"We need answers first," Colin hastily replied to the diary. "No. I'm with my friend, Harry Potter." Again, the words faded away and didn't reappear for a few minutes, leaving the boys staring stupidly at the blank paper.  
"What's taking it so long?" Harry said.  
Colin shook the diary as if trying to pour the words out. "Maybe whoever it is is a fan of you and got excited."  
"Just what I need," Harry groaned. "More fans."  
Finally, after three agonizingly slow minutes, the mysterious person replied.  
Ah, Harry Potter, you say? I must say, I'm delighted to meet you, Mr. Potter. My name is Tom Riddle.   
"Tom Riddle?" Colin repeated thoughtfully. "Who's that?"  
"I dunno," Harry frowned. "Maybe he's and older student in Percy's year." After he spoke, Riddle seemed to have more to say.  
How did you two get a hold of my diary?   
Colin glanced over at his raven haired friend. "What do we tell him?"  
"The truth, I suppose," Harry said carefully. "Don't be too specific, though."  
"Alright." Colin stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouths he wrote, face scrunched with concentration.  
"It's our friends diary. Do you know Ginny Weasley?"  
"Col!" Harry admonished. "I said not to get too specific."  
Colin made to reply but Riddle answered first.  
I do not know of anyone by the name of Weasley.   
Colin's face deflated. He'd hoped Tom would be able to explain Ginny's odd behavior. He let out a breath of air, sighing. "What do you want me to ask him?" he said to Harry, whom had a calculated look on his face.  
"Ask him if he knows anything about the Chamber of Secrets."  
Colin did just that. His heart was hammering in his chest, waiting for a response. Tom's handwriting was noticeably ubtider than in his previous replies.  
Of course I do. In my own school days, the Chamber of Secrets was explained as nothing more than a fabrication. I, however, knew better. I was in my fifth year when the Chamber was opened and the monster inside attacked and killed a muggleborn. I managed to catch the person responsible and that person was expelled. Headmaster Dippet warned me to keep my mouth shut and gave me a trophy for my heroic deed. He thought the monster was dead and everything could be put behind them. Again, I knew better. The monster lives on in the chamber and will strike again.   
Colin and Harry stared in horror. Their suspicions were confirmed. "Now do we go to Dumbledore?" Harry stressed.  
"No," Colin breathed. "We need answers. Maybe Riddle could give us some. " He gave the older boy a pleading look.  
"Maybe," Harry considered. "Ask him if he knows anything else."  
"You said you caught the person? Who was it?" Colin wrote. "Why did they do it?"  
Riddle's handwriting became nicer again. Each letter was formed precise movements. Yes, I do. Why don't I simply show you? You both can have a look into my memory. Let me show you everything.   
Colin glanced at Harry, silently asking for permission. Their eyes met and it seemed to conveyed their unsaid words.  
"Ok."  
The pages flipped wildly. Colin nearly had a heart attack at the sudden movement. They both felt a strong wind pulling them closer. Gasping, their bodies lurched forward and they felt themselves leave the couch and the floor, respectively, going in headfirst.  
Colin hit the floor with a thud. His head throbbed with pain. He let out a groan that turned into a loud gasp when Harry fell directly across his stomach. "Harry," he moaned. "That hurt."  
"Sorry," Harry apologized, lifting himself up. He looked around, knowing exactly where they were. "This is the corridor near the kitchen," He noted.  
Slowly but surely, Colin rose to his feet, brushing a stray piece of hair from his eyes. "Why are we here?"  
"I don't-" Harry's words were drowned out by a door slamming. Behind them stood a huge boy with wild looking hair. He seemed to not notice them, rather, looking straight last them.  
"Riddle!" he barked, marching forward and right through Colin.  
"I don't think they can see us," Harry said to him.  
"I guess not," Colin put a hand to his chest, feeling strange vibrations after the boy had gone through him like a ghost.  
"Evening Rubeus," Riddle stepped out of the shadows. His face was impassive.  
"Why are 'ey sayin' all tis stuff, Tom?" the huge boy was frowning in distress. " 'er sayin' Aragog killed that 'irl. "  
Riddle, Colin noticed, was a tall dark haired boy. His lips were pursed with a smirk growing. "Oh, but, Rebuias," he said slowly, "it did. And you know it."  
"No he didn't!" the boy protested. "He would never!"  
"Come with me to Headmaster Dippet's office," Riddle said sharply. "Don't make this harder on yourself."  
"Yer crazy if ye think I'm-"  
"Now, Rubeus," Riddle pointed his wand at him threateningly. "I would suggest you do this the easy way. Move."  
The huge boy troddened forward with shame. They began their silent walk with Harry and Colin following. Finally, after Riddle gave the password, they climbed up the stairs to the headmaster's office. Colin and Harry found that Dippet's office wasn't that much different than Dumbledore's in the future, albet there was a lack of his outlandish 'toys' as Professor McGonagall called them.  
"Headmaster Dippet," Riddle called. "We're here."  
"We? My dear boy, who are you-" Dippet's words died on his tongue at the sight of the huge boy. "Rubeus, what are you doing here?"  
The huge boy dropped his head, unable to meet his eyes. Dippet rose to his meet, hands on his desk. "What is this about?"  
"It seems I have caught the person responsible for the attacks," Riddle's tone was on edge. He jerked the boy forward. "Isn't that right?"  
"No," the boy found his voice. "I didn't do it!"  
"Stop lying!" Riddle snapped. Colin flinched at the sudden noise.  
"Boys!" Dippet said sternly. He came from around his desk, staring up at the huge boy. "Is this true, Reubas?"  
"No," his tone was pleading. "Please ye got to believe me."  
Dippet crossed his arms, looking unsure. "Are you certain it's him?"  
"Yes," Riddle replied easily. "He's got the monster close."  
"What-what kind of monster is it?" Dippet asked.  
"An acromantula," Riddle said, glaring at the boy.  
Dippet's jaw dropped but he quickly regained composure. "Are you aware that isn't allowed?"  
The boy swallowed. "Yessir."  
"Then why do you have one?" Dippet's composure was beginning to turn to that of anger.  
"He needed a place to stay. He was lonely-"  
"I don't want to hear it!" Dippet shook his head and Colin could have sworn he saw a smirk on Riddle's face. "I just don't want to hear of it." He paced around in the office. "Do you realize what you've done? Do you realize that a girl is dead because of your actions?"  
"I didn't do it!" the boy howled, struggling to get out of Riddle's grip. "I didn't!"  
"Rubes," Dippet said sternly, "Go wait outside. Now." His tone suggested he wasn't messing around nor that it was practical to second guess him. The boy's shoulders slumped but he did as he was told. The door closed, leaving Riddle and Dippet. The headmaster rubbed his temples and sat back down in his chair behind his desk.  
"I don't believe it," he muttered. "I just don't believe it. I knew Rubeus had fondness for wild creatures. I just never knew-" He looked at Riddle with sorrow in his eyes. "How did I not see this coming," he sighed.  
"Don't trouble yourself over this, Headmaster," Riddle said smoothly. "It's his own fault."  
"That may be true but I am his headmaster. I should have seen it coming and stopped it. And now an innocent girl is dead," Dippet rubbed his face. "What am I supposed to say to her parents?"  
"Tell them an irresponsible student led to her death," Riddle replied. "It's the truth."  
Dippet made a noise, smiling halfway. "You always know what to say, Mr. RIddle."  
"I try to, Sir," Riddle tried to act modest but Colin could see through his facade.  
Dippet smiled tightly. "You should get to bed. It's late."  
Riddle turned to leave but abruptly turned back. "Sir, if I may?"  
"Yes?" Dippet raised his eyebrows.  
"Term is ending soon and I wanted to inquire about the possibility of staying here for the summer holidays," Riddle said hopefully.  
Dippet sighed in a way that plainly suggested they'd had this conversation before. "Mr. Riddle, you know I can't let you do that."  
"But sir-" Riddle tried to no avail.  
"No buts. What's wrong with the orphanage?" Dippet asked tiredly.  
"Headmaster, they're-they're muggles!" For a brief moment, Riddle's frustration was clear.  
"My boy, why does that matter?" Dippet asked, shocked by his behavior.  
Riddle must have sensed that, for he put on his most sorrowed face. "They poke fun at me because to their knowledge I go to a boarding school for the gifted. They consistently torment me, Headmaster."  
The headmaster relaxed. "My dear boy, I wish something could be done but you cannot stay here. Who would keep an eye on you? No, you will go back to the orphanage. You only have two more years. You can bear it."  
Riddle was displeased. "Of course, Headmaster."  
Colin nudged Harry, who seemed entranced by the whole exchange. "He looks angry, don't you think?"  
"Yeah," Harry watched Riddle narrow his eyes in a sort of way a predator does before they strike their prey. "He does."  
Silence fell over those in the office. Riddle stood, glued to the ground, trying his hardest to keep up his calm facade. Dippet smiled awkwardly, preferring to become lost in his paperwork on his desk.  
"I suppose I should be going," Riddle said shortly. "Good evening, Headmaster."  
"Huh? Oh yes. Good evening, Mr. Riddle," Dippet said distractedly.  
Riddle made a low scoffing noise as he exited. Colin and Harry were at his heels as he rounded the corner. They passed by the huge boy, who seemed to be crying. They heard Riddle halt suddenly.  
"Oh, hello professor," Riddle said stiffly.  
Colin let out a gasp. It was Dumbledore! He looked much younger and his beard wasn't considerably shorter. His eyes were the same, they twinkled while he spoke.  
"Good evening, Mr. Riddle. What are you doing out so late? It isn't safe to be about these days. Especially after what's happened recently."  
Riddle barely suppressed a sneer, as noticed by Harry and Colin. His mouth twisted into a smile and he said with forced pleasantry, "Yes, yes, of course. I was just speaking with Headmaster Dippet. I caught the person responsible for the attacks, sir."  
Dumbledore's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. "You did?"  
"Yes. Rubeus Hagrid did so. He used an acromantula which killed the muggleborn girl."  
Colin gasped, his hands on his mouth. Harry simply stared.  
Dumbledore stared at him with a penetrating look. "Do you have proof?" he asked patiently.  
"Of course. The boy is known for his fondness of wild creatures. His fascination finally go out of control. He was very defensive when questioned by Headmaster Dippet," Riddle stared right back with a cool expression.  
There was a stilled silence. Dumbledore sighed heavily. "You'd better hope you're right, Tom."  
Colin saw the slight grimace at being called by his first name. "I'm very sure of it, sir."  
Dumbledore must have given up on his attempt at a conversation. He bade Riddle a good night, trotting off in the opposite direction.  
'Quick," Harry practically yelled, "let's follow him!"  
Riddle had gone walking again; furthering himself into the shadows of the darkness. Every so often, he glanced back. Colin instinctively gripped Harry's shirt, his mind flashing back to the corridor in his own time.  
"Where do you suppose he's going?" the first year whispered.  
"I don't know," Harry said. "Wherever it is, he's walking awfully fast." Riddle's footsteps were quick. His school shoes clumped against the stone floor. One would have assumed he was being chased.  
They were halfway there when Colin felt the same strong wind he'd felt as they were being sucked inside the diary. "Harry!" he panicked. "It's taking us out again"  
Harry cursed. The needed to see what Riddle was up to. "Let's keep going," he told his friend. With a sharp inhale of air, Harry sped off to catch up with RIddle. Colin did the same, wondering if this was how Dennis felt on that summer night when they'd rescued Harry. His thoughts were lost, however, when he felt the wind trying to grab his body. "Harry!" he shouted. "It's trying to take me!"  
Harry held his hand while he still ran. He felt his feet lift off the ground for a brief microsecond but he pushed all the weight he could on his feet. He needed to find out.  
Riddle led them to a door with a familiar brass door knob. The boy glanced around before slithering inside.  
"That's-" Harry started but the scene whirled and the boys were thrown out of the diary and back into the Gryffindor common room. The diary itself snapped shut.  
Colin gasped and panted, trying to regain his lost breath. "That was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," he realized.  
"But what was Riddle doing there?" Harry wondered aloud.  
"Maybe that's where the monster lives or lived," Colin suggested.  
Harry slumped down on the couch, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I can't believe it was Hagrid who opened the chamber and killed...that girl."  
"We don't know that for sure," Colin reminded him. "He could've been framed."  
"I guess you're right. But why would he be framed? Who would do that?"  
Colin shrugged. "Could've been a Slytherin. We both know how much Hagrid hates them."  
"True," Harry conceded. "We could ask Riddle. He might know. He seems to be knowledgeable."  
The clock struck, signaling it to be two in the morning. The boys were quiet as they realized they were going to have a lot of questions for their half-giant friend in the morning.


	17. Chapter 17

"Where am I?" Colin glanced around, startled to find that he was in the corridor again! Just like in the memory! It was dark and cold, too. He shivered when a blast of cold air flew right through him.   
"Colin Creevey." He stiffened when a voice hissed from behind him. Shaking with absolute fear, he reluctantly turned around and was somewhat relieved to see Riddle standing there.   
"Tom!" he sighed. "Oh thank goodness. I thought-what are you doing, Tom?" his voice quivered at the sight of Riddle's wand raised.   
"Why, you're coming with me," he was grinning menacingly. He reached out to grab him and Colin let out a scream.   
"AH!" Colin shot up in bed, cold sweat dripping down his back. Panting heavily, he clenched his chest in an attempt to regain his breath and slow his heart rate. That was a crazy dream. He shook his head, glancing at the window. The sun was up already, he suspected it was only a little after six. He groaned and laid back down. Despite how overwhelmingly tired he was he couldn't fall back asleep. His body was on hyper drive from the dream.  
Why had he dreamed about Riddle, he frowned. It had felt so..so real like it was a memory. He could still vividly see Riddle's face as he advanced toward him. Just like in his dream, Colin shivered.  
The dream wasn't the only thing that bothered Colin. He was still unnerved by the revolution concerning Hagrid. He;'d felt so shocked, so astounded, so gobsmacked that he was accused of such a thing. Sure, he had a tendency to keep dangerous creatures as pets but he'd never let one of them injure or kill a student! It was ludicrous. His stomach filled with a feeling of dread. How was he going to sit there while they talked to him as if everything were normal? He was he going to look him in the eye while remembering what he'd seen last night?  
Colin glanced around his empty dorm room. The rest of the students would be returning from their break tomorrow, no doubt would be they be told of the recent attack. He felt a pang of guilt in his chest for Penny. If he hadn't suggested they have a party, Penny would've been in her tower perfectly safe. Sighing with regret, he forced himself out of bed; there was no way he'd be getting any more sleep. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a jumper along with his shoes.  
Harry, Hermione and Ron were waiting downstairs for him. It looked that Harry hadn't gotten much sleep either. There were bags under his eyes and he seemed to be fighting to stay awake. Hermione must've known something happened last night but refrained from asking. Colin felt her eyes burning through his skull, as if trying to read his mind. "Morning," he greeted as normally as he could.  
"Morning," Hermione smiled while Harry murmured a similar greeting. She pulled Colin aside, whispering, "What did you two do last night? Harry looks awfully depressed."  
"Nothing," Colin denied. "We did nothing."  
She narrowed her eyes. "Colin Creevey, you tell me what happened last night and tell me now!" she demanded.  
"Mione, it's nothing," he wiggled out of her grip, exclaiming loudly, "I'm sure hungry. How about you guys?"  
Ron perked up, agreeing instantly. "Me too!" He pulled on Harry's arm. "C'mon, Harry. Let's eat." They went down the stairs to the Great Hall which was mostly bare, even the staff table was only occupied by two professors whose names the foursome didn't know. They sat in the middle of the long table with Ron and Hermione on one end and Colin and Harry across from them. Colin and Harry weren't in the mood to eat much so they took a bagel and piece of toast respectively. Ron seemed to be aware of the somber mood, he didn't consume as obnoxiously as usual.  
Hermione's lips were pursed as she overlooked them. "What has gotten into you two?" she once again demanded. "You were fine last night."  
"Well," Harry started, rubbing his arm uncomfortably. "We, er, finally looked at the diary last night."  
"What? I thought you said you'd give it back to Ginny, Harry!" Ron frowned. "How could you lie to me?"  
"It wasn't on purpose," Harry said irritably. "I forgot it was in my trunk."  
"Anyway," Hermione knew if she didn't interrupt, they'd be at it until nightfall. "Then what happened?"  
Colin joined in the conversation. "I wrote in it and some bloke named Tom Riddle wrote back."  
"Tom Riddle?" Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "Is he an older student?"  
"That's what I thought," Harry added. "But he wasn't, well, he is but-"  
"But," Colin cut him off. "He was a student fifty years ago and knew a lot about the chamber. He said he was the one to catch the person who did it."  
"And? Who was it?" Hermione asked eagerly.  
Harry and Colin shared a glance. "It was Hagrid," Harry said just above a whisper. "He opened the chamber and killed that girl. Riddle showed us in a memory."  
"What?" Hermione and Ron exclaimed together, utterly shocked. "But Hagrid would never do that!" Hermione insisted. "He's-he's Hagrid!" There were tears in her eyes, like she was heartbroken. "He couldn't have," she repeated, whispering.  
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Ron started shakily. "He likes scary creatures and got expelled and won't tell anyone why. I'd be humiliated too if my pet monster killed someone. How did he not go to Azkaban for that?" he shook his head. "Are we still going to talk to him?"  
The table fell silent for a split second. "Yes," Hermione said finally. "Hagrid may have done it fifty years ago but we have no proof he's doing it now. He could be of help to us. Did Riddle say what kind of monster it was?"  
"An acrom-arcoom-" Colin tried to say.  
"Acromantula," Harry corrected. Hermione looked downright confused while Ron was frightened.  
"That's-that's," he stammered. "That's a spider!" his voice was squeaky and his eyes were darting around suspiciously as if one were about to jump out at him. "WHY would Hagrid have a giant spider!?"  
"Maybe he wanted to train it like a dog," Colin offered enthusiastically.  
"I don't think that's it, Colin," Hermione let out a giggle at his remark. The younger boy was disappointed. "But, I do think he might have took it in out of sympathy, you know how Hagrid is," she nodded toward Harry and Ron.  
"So there's a giant spider lurking around the castle?" Ron shivered. "That's just great. Bloody great."  
"Ron, language!" she scolded, jerking her thumb in Colin's direction. The redhead paid her no attention, however. He was purely focused on staying away from the acromantula.  
"I'll just sleep in the shower, it can't get in there," he rattled off, much to Colin's amusement.  
"But little spiders get in there all the time. Who says big ones can't?" he pointed out. Ron squeaked. Harry rolled his eyes, smirking.  
"Now look what you've done," he snickered. Hermione glared at them, smacking Ron and Harry upside the head.  
"This is serious!" she said in a hushed voice. "This could mean life or death and you're playing around!" She went into full on lecture mode. Colin lost interest in the conversation so he idly glanced around the hall. He spotted Ginny walking in, looking sleep deprived. Her clothes were messy and slightly out of place. Her hair was spilled down her back, appearing to not have been brushed this morning. The closer she got the more he noticed the bags under her eyes. How long has she not been sleeping?  
"Morning Ginny," Ron chose that moment to pull away from Hermione's lecture and greet his sister. Upon closer inspection, he was appalled at the sight. "Merlin, Gin, have you slept a wink?"  
Ginny, who looked torn between dropping to the floor in utter exhaustion and bursting into tears, said weakly, "Of course Ron. I just couldn't sleep last night. Poor Penelope, I just felt so bad-" she immediately shut up, her brown eyes were wide with worry. She scurried over down the table where she sat by herself, visibly shaking.  
"Huh, that was odd," Ron stated the obvious.  
"Do you think she might be sick?" Hermione asked with concern.  
"Nah, Ginny never gets sick," Ron denied. "She's probably just starstruck because of Harry. Always did have a crush on him." Harry grimaced.  
"Must you remind me?" he muttered.  
They dissolved into another conversation, one that Colin couldn't bring himself to join. Ginny looked terrified when she had mentioned feeling bad for Penny. He'd never seen her like that before and it didn't look to be the case of the common cold or lack of sleep. Something was going on and he was determined to find out.  
"Oh, no!" Hermione gasped. "We've got to go!"  
"Go where?" Ron asked dumbly.  
"To Hagrid's!" the witch exclaimed, gobbling the last of her breakfast. "We've got one chance to get out of the castle and we can't miss it!" She, Harry and Colin got up to leave but Ron was still seated and still eating. Hermione ran back, grabbing his shirt. "Ron come on!"

Hagrid's hut was a small wooden cabin. It was old and somewhat decayed looking. Despite his first year being halfway over, Colin hadn't been in there before. He'd seen it plenty of times as he strode by on the grounds, though. He wondered how a large man such as Hagrid could fit inside. Deciding it would be rude to ask the half-giant himself, he asked Harry. The older boy looked stumped.  
"I never thought about that before," he admitted. "Maybe Dumbledore enchanted it to be big on the inside."  
Hermione tentatively knocked. They waited for a few moments when the door swung open and the beaming face of Hagrid came into view. "Hello all!" he said jovally. "What a surprise! Won't ye come in?"  
They did so, making sure to stay as far from him as possible. Colin knew this was something Harry wasn't used to doing. He felt bad for his friend. "I thought ye was supposed to stay in the castle today?" he heard Hagrid say to Hermione. "We wanted to come see you," was her way of explanation. Colin let out a squeak when Hagrid rounded up on him. "How's ye first year been, Colin?"  
Blushing when the half giant gawked at him for his reaction, he replied, "Oh, erm, fantastic. Could be better.."  
Hagrid nodded. "I know what ye mean. Did ye hear about that poor girl that got petrified this mornin? Real shame, that was."  
The foursome shared a glance. Now was their chance! "Hagrid," Hermione began. "We wanted to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."  
The half-giant sat down in his chair, causing the whole hut to shake and vibrate. "Of course, Hermione. What do ye want to ask?"  
Hesitantly, she said, "Were you in school fifty years ago?"  
Hagrid froze, spluttering. There was a defeated silence to which he hung his head dejectedly. "I was," he admitted quietly.  
It was Ron's turn to ask. "Did you know the girl that died?"  
Hagrid avoided all eye contact, visibly uncomfortable by their interrogation. "No."  
"Do you know why she died? Or how?" Harry probed. Colin knew by his pained facial expression this was difficult. He squeezed the older boy's shoulder, smiling encouragingly when bright green eyes met his own.  
"No I don't," Hagrid declined, swallowing thickly. Colin opened his mouth to ask another question but the half giant promptly changed the subject. "Ye all need to get back to the castle."  
"But Hagrid-" they protested but stopped when a large hand silenced them. "I said go," he sounded unusually stern. "Go." Having no choice, they trudged back to the castle. Ron grumbled about their brief conversation and wondering what was for lunch. But Harry, Hermione and Colin were bothered by a much more darker thought.  
Why was Hagrid so uncomfortable? Why did he rush them out so fast? Why did his his mood change? Just what was he hiding?  
It only made sense, just possibly, perhaps, Hagrid really did open the Chamber of Secrets.  
Colin sighed.  
This was not the year he'd been expecting.


	18. Chapter 18

By the next day, Colin still hadn't forgotten the exchange with Hagrid. He could still picture the half giant's anxious face. Harry's not overly worried about it so neither should you. Indeed, afterwards Hermione reminded Harry that despite Hagrid possibly being the culprit years ago, it didn't explain who was doing it now. They'd snuck into the library yesterday, spending nearly five hours flipping through books and again this morning but they hadn't found a single clue that could've led them to the real culprit.  
Harry wanted to use the diary, to show Hermione and Ron what he and Colin had seen. But, to everyone's confusion, the diary, it seemed, stopped working. They wrote inside but Riddle stopped responding. It was then that Harry declared it useless, tossing it into Colin's arms who thought otherwise.  
I know you're in there, Riddle, the first year thought. I just know it.  
Hermione didn't even have a logical reason for it so they just continued to invade the library, hoping to find something, anything.  
The foursome was eating lunch when Professor McGonagall approached them. "Mr Weasley, would you mind coming with me to Professor Dumbledore's office?" she said kindly.  
The redhead, assuming he was in trouble, gulped but nodded. He gave them one last glance before departing.  
"I wonder what that was about?" Hermione commented.  
"Maybe we're in trouble for sneaking into the library," Colin fretted.  
"Don't be silly. If that was true, we'd all be called to his office," Hermione countered his claim, though she didn't seem completely convinced.  
"He could be questioning us one at a time," Harry pointed out.  
"For the library? You boys are daft," she tutted.  
"Aren't all boys, Hermione?" There was a soft giggle behind them. Luna stood there with her feet in actual shoes, Colin was pleased to note. She took a seat next to Colin, something that also pleased him but he was unsure why.  
"I think you're right, Luna," Hermione rolled her eyes fondly. The boys jokingly protested. "They're helpless."  
"Who is helpless, Miss Granger?" Professor Lockhart appeared at their table, showing his pearly white teeth. Unlike the other professors, he didn't seem concerned or worried in the least; despite that another attack had occurred, on a student no less. Colin thought he looked a bit giddy, almost.  
"I-erm-" she stuttered. Harry and Colin rolled their eyes. Just when would she give up her ridiculous crush on the git?  
"She means boys, Professor," Luna supplied helpfully. "They're usually stupid without the help from girls; like when Ron needs help from Hermione with his homework." Hermione blushed redder than anyone had ever seen her.  
"That's not what I-" she tried to take back at the same time Harry said cheerfully, "I think that's exactly what you said! Called us dunderheads, she did." He pretended to wipe away a tear, blissfully ignoring Hermione's death glare that was sent his way. Colin bit his tongue to keep from giggling. Luna's head was tilted in slight confusion but she was otherwise her usual self.  
Professor Lockhart, for once, was looking quite awkward, uncomfortable even. A look of surprise had overcome his face but he quickly composed himself. Unsure of what to say, he bid them a good day, walking away quicker than Colin had ever seen him.  
"What. Did. You. Do. That. For?" Hermione leaned over the table to punch Harry's shoulder in a rather hard manner. Their raven haired friend hissed in pain, shielding himself from her attack.  
"So you'd realize he's nothing more than a git," he retorted.  
"He's not a git!" she exclaimed shrilly.  
"And you have a silly crush on him," he continued as if she hadn't spoken.  
Hermione stared at him, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. She was spluttering too and her face was beginning to go that same red that Ron's did when he was angry.  
"I think she's mad," Luna said to Colin matter-of-factly. "Look at her cheeks. They're like cherries! I like cherries."  
"I do too," Colin agreed, shrinking back a bit when the bushy witch's eyes narrowed at him but they turned back to Harry as quickly as they came to him.  
"Harry Potter," she said with a furious tone (Colin noted she sounded like his mother. "I do not have a silly crush on Professor Lockhart!"  
"Then why do you blush when he talks to you? Or stutter? Or what about the time you wanted to keep the note he gave us to go to the restricted section in the library?" Harry was quick to remind her.  
Hermione's anger deflated for a moment before returning. "I wanted to show it to my parents," was her weak excuse. "They've never seen a wizard note before."  
Harry grinned in amusement. "Looks just like a muggle one to me."  
"That was a very bad excuse," Luna noted.  
Colin thought he'd have to jump in front of Harry before Hermione hexed him to goo. But he didn't. She did, however, let out a loud and very aggravated scream. "BOYS!"  
"Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick, who was sitting in his place at the staff table, admonished. "Inside voice, please."  
"Sorry Professor," she mumbled, her cheeks going bright red. "Won't happen again, Professor."  
"See that it doesn't," Professor Flitwick sighed, seemingly torn between amusement and exasperation.  
Hermione found sudden interest in her food and the table got quiet. Harry must've felt bad for picking on her because he mumbled an apology to her and she mumbled one back. Colin wasn't sure what to do or say next. But he was very glad to see Ron coming back to the hall, though he was curious as to why he was storming in with Ginny running after him from behind.  
"You can't tell them!" she yelled in a pleading tone. "Tell me you won't?"  
"Tell who what?" Hermione had gotten out of her embarrassment and was curiously staring at the redheaded siblings for an explanation. "Who are you talking about?"  
"Our parents," Ron sighed in exasperation. At Hermione's, Colin's and Harry's confused looks, he explained, "Professor Dumbledore was concerned about Ginny's wellbeing-"  
"He doesn't have a reason to be," Ginny cut across.  
"Apparently she's been visiting the hospital wing often and requesting dreamless sleeping potions. She hasn't been eating much and doesn't do her homework anymore." Ginny looked ready to burst into tears. "Her grades have dropped so much she might have to repeat this year. Dumbledore wanted to know if I knew anything." Ginny bit her lip fearfully. "Which I don't." Colin saw the instant sight of relief on her face. "How would I know? I'm not my sister's keeper."  
"Ron," Hermione scolded.  
"Ginny's all freaked out that I might tell mum and dad."  
"You won't will you?" Ginny asked again, desperately.  
"Calm down, will you? I might, the way you're acting," Ron was a bit creeped out by her behavior.  
"I'm fine!" she stomped her foot childishly. "I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm fine!"  
"What are you, five?" Ron snapped. "Grow up, Gin."  
Ginny looked ready to burst into tears. Colin's concern grew at how helpless she looked; like she was on the verge of her breaking point. "I hate you," she whispered, her face deadly serious. "I hate you Ronald Weasley! I wish you weren't my brother!" She stormed off, shoving Percy out of her way as he came in. They heard his shout of, "Oi, Ginny! Watch where you're going, please!" But she didn't listen. Percy stared quizzically at her then to the group at the table.  
"Do you have any idea what's wrong with Ginny?" he asked them.  
"You mean besides that she's spoiled?" Ron scoffed. "No, not a clue."  
"Ron," Percy said in a warning voice, "there could be something emotionally wrong with her. Girls are sensitive at that age. Have her dormmates been treating her poorly?"  
"I don't know," Ron replied irritably.  
"You should ask," Percy advised.  
"Why don't you ask?" Ron just wanted to finish his lunch in peace without cranky, emotional sisters or pompous brothers. "Why do I have to do it?"  
"You're closer in age," Percy explained. "It will mean more coming from you."  
Ron scowled. "Is that why Professor Dumbledore asked me to sit in with Ginny today at the meeting?"  
Percy looked alarmed. "Meeting? What meeting?"  
"The one about Ginny's wellbeing. Dumbledore's concerned because she's not doing her work anymore so she might fail her first year and she's going to the hospital wing a lot for dreamless sleeping potions," Ron raised an eyebrow. "You didn't know?"  
"I-I," Percy faltered. "I was told of a meeting today but I was so preoccupied with thoughts about Penny and patrolling-oh! I'm her elder brother. I should've noticed!" he sat down on the bench with his head in his hands.  
"No you're not, Percy," Hermione tried to comfort him. "Parents miss stuff all the time. It's easy to do."  
"But I'm not her parent," Percy sounded absolutely miserable. "I'm her brother. I should've been more attentive to her needs. You know what she told me? She said she hadn't been feeling like her herself for weeks. I figured it was nerves from starting school and sent her on her way. If Ginny fails first year I won't know what to do with myself."  
Between his girlfriend who was comatose and his sister who had her own issues, Colin felt awfully sorry for Percy and wouldn't wish that on anyone. He wanted to comfort him somehow but felt it wasn't totally appropriate seeing that his party idea had gotten his girlfriend petrified. So he stayed quiet.  
"Percy," Harry began curiously, "what do you think is wrong with Ginny? She seems different than before." Colin mentally agreed. Not only did her behavior change, but so did her appearance, even if it was slightly. She didn't take the time to brush out her beautiful red hair anymore; it was lucky if it got washed. She had permanent bags under her eyes from countless nights of sleeplessness. And before, she was a social butterfly; as according to Ron, she, "Never shut up." But later on she hardly talked to anyone, only speaking when spoken to. When she did talk, it was usually with hostility which she typically directed to Colin if he so dared to say a word to her. He quickly learned that was a big mistake.  
"I don't know," Percy wailed, earning a shush from Professor Flitwick. "I have no idea! She was fine this past summer."  
"He's right," Ron vouched for him. "She was chattering nonstop about how she was going to Hogwarts with the famous Harry Potter," he sent his friend a smirk good naturedly.  
Colin expected Harry to blush or stammer or even run away like last time. But he didn't. "When did she start changing?" Harry was clearly ignoring the redhead's gestures. He looked from one brother to the next. "Come on, think. You must have noticed something."  
"I noticed something," Luna spoke up, startling everyone. They'd forgotten she was there.  
"What did you notice Luna?" Colin asked as his heart pounded.  
"Ginny used to talk with me all the time. She would help me find nargles like Daddy. But she stopped. She said it was silly and a waste of time," Luna had a rare frown on her face. "She called me Looney a couple times like everyone else."  
Colin couldn't explain the sudden rush of feelings he experienced. He felt angry. Angry that Ginny behaved that way toward one of his dearest friends. Luna never responded to bullying in a similar manner. If anything, she let it go entirely and never held a grudge against the person. He also felt sad. He was sad that Luna was bullied and just put up with it. Colin would've done anything to protect her from everyone; but he was tiny, tinier than Luna. He couldn't do much.  
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Percy asked the blonde with a sad expression on his face. "I never would've let Ginny go without punishment."  
Luna shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. Ginny's a wonderful girl deep within. She doesn't mean all of this."  
"That's not the point, Luna," Percy frowned. "Ginny's got no business name calling you. Mum and dad didn't raise her like that."  
Luna bit her bottom lip. Colin could tell she was beginning to get uncomfortable, something that rarely happened. She clearly wasn't used to many people caring about her. "I don't want her mad at me," she admitted in a whisper. "She's my first girl friend and...and..." her eyes filled with tears.  
"What Luna?" Percy prompted. Colin had a gut sinking feeling Ginny had said something dreadful by the way Luna was acting.  
"She reminded me I have no friends and everyone thinks I'm strange," she did start crying at this moment. Everyone looked outraged.  
"She said that? I'll have to have a talk with our sister," Percy growled.  
"I can't believe Ginny would say such a thing," Hermione said to Harry, shaking her head. "That's a horrible thing to say."  
Colin couldn't watch Luna cry any longer; he rushed forward to bring the distressed girl into his arms. Luna was bigger than him so her head was on top of his. He could feel her tears falling on his scalp. "Thank you, Colin," she hiccuped. His thumb wiped away her tears.  
"Don't cry Luna," he said softly. "It's okay. You've got us. We're your friends."  
"Really?" she asked in skepticism.  
"Yes," he nodded. "We're all your friends." The others nodded in agreement.  
"It's true Luna," Harry smiled warmly. "We all adore you."  
"And you've got another girl friend," Hermione added. "Me."  
"Yeah, we like you," Ron said. 'Even if you're a little weird."  
Hermione, Harry and Percy glared at him for his tactless response. But Luna, on the other hand, was touched.  
"You're all so kind," she sniffled. She released herself from Colin's embrace to personally hug everyone. "Thank you..."  
After a few more hugs were exchanged and tears shed, Harry repeated his earlier question.  
"So when did you notice that she started changing?"  
The brothers spent the next five minutes thinking hard; their faces scrunching up in concentration. Colin thought that Ron's thinking look looked very familiar to someone looking constipated. He nearly let out a giggle.  
"Hang on," Percy burst out, "I know!" They waited for an answer desperately. "Early September or October-I can't remember which-she started to distance herself from people. I thought she was just trying to focus on her studies." He looked ready to cry. "I could've prevented this! Oh, I should've done something!"  
Hermione hugged him. "There might not have been a way to prevent this," she said wisely. "But at least we know now. The question is: what are you going to do about this?"  
Percy sighed. "The only thing I can do: write to mum and dad."  
"She's going to be furious at you," Ron commented gleefully. Hermione and Harry glared at him. "What?"  
"Ronald!" Hermione smacked him, earning an "Oi!" in complaint. "Don't! He's already upset from the ordeal, don't make this harder on him."  
"It's okay Hermione," Percy reassured with a smile. "I've known for years that Ron doesn't have any tact."  
"Hey!" Ron complained again. Hermione, Colin and Harry laughed at his expense.

It was nearly time for the rest of the student body to arrive. After lunch had ended, Percy went to his dorm straight away to write a rather lengthy letter to their parents, informing them of Ginny's situation. It hadn't taken long for their parents to write back. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Colin learned, were very patient people unless ticked off. Mrs. Weasley had sent a Howler, something Percy described as the worst thing a witch or wizard can get while in school. Basically, it sounded like a recording letter that screamed at you. Colin was very very thankful his parents were muggles. They'd all been in the common room; Hermione, Ron, Harry, Colin and the twins were huddled in a group, talking amongst themselves. Percy overlooked them, smiling and occasionally putting his own two cents into the conversation. Ginny was sitting alone by the fireplace, pouting and grumbling that she had to be there. It was then that the Howler arrived in a bright red envelope. Mrs. Weasley's voice was projected throughout the common room.  
"Ginevra Weasley!" It boomed. "What is wrong with you!? Not doing your homework, being disrespectful...your father and I aren't amused with your behavior, young lady! Percy told us that you could fail your first year. YOUR FIRST YEAR! What on earth happened to the little girl who was so excited for Hogwarts? Who couldn't wait to find out what she excelled in? You'd better start acting correctly before we take you straight home and homeschool you! Do you want that, Ginevra? Do you want to be away from your brothers and friends? Now, about this other issue..." She screamed and demanded answers from Ginny for over an hour. Colin didn't know someone could be angry that long. Needless to say, Ginny was in a foul mood afterwards and didn't speak to Percy at all after that. She didn't even glance in his direction.  
Percy was understandably distraught that his letter hadn't brought Ginny to him, apologizing and giving him some answers. Hermione told him things take time and reminded him that it was great that he was taking the time to care.  
Colin was sitting with the trio waiting for the others to arrive. A few feet down, Percy was again trying to talk to Ginny. The redheaded girl simply pretended he didn't exist. She hummed obnoxiously, drowning out her brother's words. Colin couldn't even remember a time where Dennis had acted that way. Dennis rarely was in a mood; especially one as foul as Ginny was in. If his brother wanted to be annoying, he would follow him everywhere or be extremely talkative.  
"I'm hungry," Ron complained for the umpteenth time. "When does everyone get here?" Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.  
"In ten minutes, Ronald."  
Deciding not to listen to the argument that was sure to break out, Colin stuck up a conversation with Harry. "Do you plan on asking Dumbledore if you can stay with me during the summer?"  
Harry shrugged. "Don't know if I'd bother. Can't imagine him saying yes."  
"But you've still got to try," Colin insisted. "I don't want you to go back to those mean old Dursleys." Calling the Dursleys mean and old was as about insulting that Colin would get. He was usually so polite and sweet; he'd even apologized to Harry after that for his language.  
A smile threatened to break across Harry's face. His 'little brother's' concern made his heart swell with happiness. "I'll be fine, you know," he always made it a point to remind him. "They haven't killed me yet."  
"Don't say that," Colin moaned. "I hate when you say that."  
"It's the truth," Harry shrugged again. "And it's not a big deal. Dumbledore put me there for protection."  
Colin grumbled his opinion on that matter. He felt that the Dursleys did more harm than good but Harry wouldn't hear of it. Sure, he disliked living with them but wasn't so adamant on him leaving like Colin was.  
"Come on Harry, you've got to try-" Colin's mini speech was cut off by Harry.  
"Drop it, Col," Harry's voice held a warning. "Just drop it."  
Colin didn't want to fight with his brother and best friend. It would hurt him to much. Obediently, he shut up and found sudden interest in the chandeliers above them.  
Soon, in a matter of minutes, the large doors opened and in came crowds of students, chatting and laughing as they sat down at their respective tables. Colin was unusually silent and didn't even laugh when Hermione elbowed Ron so hard he became winded.  
"Col," Harry's heart dropped when the young lad didn't respond, instead, staring glumly at the wall. "Col? Colin-"  
"Hiya Harry," Seamus, along with Neville and Dean, sat down across from him. "How was your break? Did ya get anything good? Oh, hi, Colin! Good holiday?" Colin answered his questions with short replies. Seamus shot Harry a questioning look. Anyone who knew Colin knew that he was always excited and happy; and if he wasn't, that meant something was wrong. Very wrong.  
Professor Dumbledore stood up and greeted them. "Good evening you lot."  
"Good evening Professor Dumbledore," most of them greeted back politely.  
"Yes, yes. I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday. It came to my attention that yesterday morning we had another attack." Professor Dumbledore barely finished his sentence before the students began berating him with questions.  
"Who was attacked?"  
"Did you catch the person doing it?"  
"Did someone die?"  
"Will someone die?"  
"Is anyone getting expelled?"  
"Silence!" Dumbledore thundered. They obeyed out of fear. "The student attacked was Miss Penelope Clearwater." Immediately, the Ravenclaw table erupted with shouts and those in other houses who knew Penelope also gave their protest. Dumbledore continued, "We have not caught the person responsible but be rest assured, we will catch this person and they will suffer the most severe consequences."  
"Is Hogwarts shutting down?" a random student shouted.  
"Hogwarts is perfect safe," Professor McGonagall interjected. "We will resume classes tomorrow morning." Most of the students expressed their disappointment. Professor Dumbledore launched into another speech about rules and how to be safe during this troubled time. Harry couldn't focus on him; he was too bothered by Colin's sudden mood change. Had it been his own fault? Harry hadn't meant to upset him. Really, he did want to live with the Creevey's. He absolutely adored Beth and Robert; and he thought of Colin and Dennis as his own brothers that he's never had. Nothing would have gave him more joy than to live with them. But what about the Dursleys? Would Dumbledore let him go? He'd heard all about the blood wards and that since the Dursleys were family they were his only protection. But was it any good? Sure, he'd never had any attacks since living there but he doubted the idea of the Dursleys providing any protection. If anything, they were a danger to him; especially Dudley. Speaking of Dudley, he wouldn't have to worry about 'Harry Hunting' anymore if he lived with the Creevey's. Harry felt horrible for his short tempered. He really needed to apologize to Colin; after all, he'd only tried to help Harry.  
He tapped on the first year's shoulder, startling him slightly. Colin turned to him with curious eyes only to become dull when he realized who it was. "Colin," Harry tried again. "Can we talk?"  
"Not now," Colin replied in a tone that Harry never heard him use before. "Later."  
Harry realized he wasn't going to get any cooperation out of him at the moment so he left him alone. Seamus and Dean tried to cheer him up, after Seamus tried to pry and ask him repeatedly what Colin's problem was; until Dean smacked him and reprimanded him for not minding his own business. Their banter amused Harry for a short time but he still felt an ache in his chest for upsetting his friend. He and Colin hadn't argued or upset each other at all since their meeting in the summer. It was normal of course; Ron and Hermione did it constantly since meeting on the Hogwarts express. But this was different. Colin was his surrogate brother. Brothers were supposed to fight, he'd heard but Harry had never had a sibling of his own; he wanted this to be perfect.  
After dinner, they were sent up to their common rooms. Harry passed Ginny, who was still ignoring Percy despite his numerous attempts to talk to her. Colin excused himself to his dorm where he isolated himself away from everyone. Ron was obvious to what had happened, figuring that he was just scared because of the attacks, and invited Harry for a game of chess. Hermione wasn't as dense. She saw straight through it and gave Harry a look that said she wanted answers later.  
The rest of the evening passed uneventful. Harry took turns playing chess with Ron and Seamus. Hermione read and took some time to comfort Neville who was terrified to walk to class alone. Percy gave up on talking to Ginny so he sat with them and chatted. Harry thought Percy was a lot nicer and less pompous now that Ginny's behavior woke him up. The twins and Lee Jordan slumped down in the plush chairs, sighing that they were stumped on what to do for the first day. Percy shocked them all when he gave a couple suggestions.  
"Who are you and what have you done with Percy?" the twins demanded.  
Percy laughed and explained he vowed to be less uptight this year. Fred and George hugged him and sat him down as they got to work planning. Dean smiled and drew them as a group. It came out very nice.  
It was near eleven when one by one they left for bed. Harry was the only one left after promising to tell Hermione everything tomorrow. She dragged Ron upstairs, leaving Harry by himself staring into the fire. A cough alerted him to Colin's presence. The first year was still in his day clothes. He sat down next to him, smiling awkwardly.  
"Hello," he said shortly.  
"Hi," Harry replied in the same tone. "Listen Colin-"  
"I know what you're going to say," Colin cut him off. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so pushy. It's just, I want you to live with us. Mum and dad love you, Dennis loves you, I love you. Harry, you're my best friend and my brother...I can't imagine you going back to those Dursleys after what happened last summer. Think of what they'll do to you." Colin's eyes filled with tears and his voice cracked. "I had so much fun with you last summer. And I'm going to m-m-m-miss you!" He dissolved into sobs that shook his tiny body. Harry's heart broke at the sight. He pulled him into his arms with Colin crying in his chest.  
"It's okay, it's okay," he murmured soothingly. "I'm not mad at you, Col."  
There was some sniffling. "You're not?"  
"No," Harry laughed softly. "I overreacted. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."  
Colin's eyes became wide and he stared into Harry's own green. "I don't' think it would ever be possible not to," he said softly.  
The brothers embraced with tears falling from their eyes. "Let's never fight again," Colin vowed.  
"Nothing would make me happier," Harry grinned.  
They let go of each other, sitting cross legged. Colin asked what happened while he was upstairs. "Oh, you'll never believe it," Harry said. "Percy gave Fred and George prank suggestions."  
Colin's mouth dropped in such a comical way that his raven haired friend burst into laughter. "No way!" he gasped. "He didn't!"  
"He did," Harry protested when his laughter died down. "And you'll never guess what else he said..." The brothers stayed like that for almost an hour, telling stories, laughing, hugging. Before long, it was time for bed and as they laid snuggled up in their bed, each had a similar thought.  
'I have a great brother.'


	19. Chapter 19

The next few weeks zoomed by like a blur. Classes resumed the next day, something that Colin was grateful for. He needed the distraction. The castle was in an uproar from the recent attack; teachers walked students to and from classes (Snape had managed to only escorte his Slytherins, how, Colin didn't know), and kept them, for the most part, from spending time alone. Everyone was instructed to have a buddy at all times or a group. Colin already had a group-Harry, Ron and Hermione. Of course, Luna, Neville and Seamus were apart of that group as well.  
Defense was the only class Colin dreaded. On their first day back, Lockhart was asked by dozens of girls, and jokingly by boys, if he'd ever come across anything like this on his adventures. Surprisingly, he declined. He said he'd never heard of anything like this. One girl told another that Lockhart should be the one to stop all of this. The boys had scoffed and laughed, except Colin. He wasn't the one to start trouble for be outspoken in class so he only agreed mentally. Lockhart saw it as a challenge and said if the opportunity came, he'd be happy to stop whoever was doing this. The girls clenched their chests, crying out in delight and applauded him for his bravery. Colin scowled, leaning back in his chair. What a git.   
Much hadn't change regarding Ginny Weasley. Ron accidentally let it slip to Seamus that Ginny got a howler from their parents. Seamus had a good soul, Colin kew that. But he couldn't resists talking about whatever was in his brain. He mentioned it to Dean and Neville, who didn't care in the slightest, and to some other Gryffindors. Pretty soon, almost all of the castle knew of the howler. Ginny was livid. She screamed and sobbed at Ron before running away to her dorm. It seemed, after that, she didn't talk to anyone. She glared at Colin and Luna whenever she saw them, was horribly rude to her brothers and even to Hermione, someone she'd once become friends with sort of. She never directed her anger to Harry. Her crush on him was painfully still present. Harry wasn't interested in anyone and was a bit oblivious at times to her advances.  
Hagrid was one of the the people who Colin's suspicion about grew with each passing day. After their visit on New Years Day, Hagrid kept his distance. He smiled at them sometimes when they caught his eye, but it was always a strained smile. If they were lucky, he'd stop and say hello, bidding them a good day before hurriedly walking away. It was just so strange. Colin didn't want to believe that Hagrid did anything, but his innocence was questioning. Why was he acting so weird after their exchange? Did he have something to hide?  
Malfoy was another person that Colin was suspicious of. Ron's speculation that Malfoy might be the heir was proven wrong, but Colin had a nagging feeling that he was who followed him on the night of the party. There wasn't another logical explanation. Malfoy clearly told them his opinion of him, so who else could it be? After the winter holidays concluded, Malfoy seemed to be even nastier than before. He shoved Colin for no reason anytime he came into contact. He insulted him and his family more so than usual. He'd even proclaimed, without the presence of teachers, that he wished whatever was petrifying people could attack Colin already and have done with it. It had taken a lot to restrain Harry that day. His brother turned red, Weasley red, and tried to lunge at Malfoy. If he, Ron and Hermione hadn't been holding him back, Colin had no doubt that the blonde would have been sporting some very nasty injures.  
It was February now, Valentines day, in fact. Colin woke up, groaning. He hadn't gotten much sleep; he was still having that dreadful dream. He wasn't sure why he was but he was. He'd have to ask Hermione, she'd know. After dressing himself, he hurried downstairs to find the trio waiting for him while Seamus was jabbering on about something with Dean and Neville in tow. They walked down to the hall for breakfast, yawning for the most part. Upon opening the doors, the boys gave a cry of disgust. The hall was decorated with lots of pink and red for Valentines day. Lockhart came swooping over to them, bragging about his decorating skills.  
"Don't you like it?" he asked, showing his pearly white teeth.  
"I love it Professor Lockhart," Hermione said in a small voice filled with adoration, "You're a marvelous decorator."  
From behind him, Colin heard Seamus give a snort. "Neville's toad could decorate this place better," Seamus muttered. The boys stifled their laughter best they could. Whether Lockhart was aware of this was unclear. Colin doubted that. Lockhart was too much of a nitwit. Hermione, however, was painfully aware. She glared at them with that motherly look of hers that promised they would regret their actions.  
"What's all this for, Professor?" Seamus motioned around them. "What's the holiday?" Colin inwardly snorted. Seamus knew exactly what holiday it was. He'd spent the last week asking dozens of girls out so he'd have a date on Valentines day. Amusingly, they all said no.  
"Valentines day of course!" Lockhart said with too much enthusiasm. He sat down on the nearest bench, sighing dramatically with his hand on his heart. "Oh, it's the most delightful day of the year. Young and old celebrate the most treasured feeling of all-love. It's absolutely wonderful, don't you think so, Miss Granger?"  
Hermione let out a combination of a giggle and a hiccup. "Oh, yes, Professor. Most definitely."  
"What's wrong with her?" Ron said to Harry without lowering his volume. "She's all dovey eyed. She looks stupid."  
Hermione blushed, having heard him. Lockhart stood up, shaking his head at Ron. "Mr. Weasley," he sighed. "You have much to learn about the female gender."  
That is the most sense he's had since I've met him, Colin thought with amusement.  
"What are you talking about?' Ron demanded to know.  
Lockhart slid an arm around the redhead's shoulders, much to his disgust. "They need a certain level of tact and sensitivity from a male." Hermione nodded in what she thought was a discreet manner but Colin caught it. "They also need to know how much they're wanted. They want to feel like they matter."  
Maybe he knows what he's talking about.   
"And a signed picture of me should help you woo the girl of your dreams. Here you are Mr. Weasley," he conjured up a photograph and handed it to Ron, grinning smugly.  
Er...never mind.   
"He's barmy," was the first thing Seamus said after Lockhart went chasing after other students. "Absolutely nutters."  
"He is not!" Hermione said with a shrill in her voice. "He is nothing of the sort."  
"Hermione," Seamus immediately grabbed a piece of toast after they sat down, stuffing it into his mouth. Unlike Ron, he had the decency to wait until his mouth was empty to speak. "He gave Ron a signed picture of himself!" he threw his hands up in the air.  
"So?" she crossed her arms, pursing her lips in a way that definitely reminded Colin of his mother.  
"So! He's full of himself! What girl would go bonkers over a picture of that git?"  
Hermione made to answer but a scene to their right diverted their attention. A group of four girls none of them knew by name, were conversing loudly that was attracting a lot of attention from passing students.  
"Please, please, please! I beg of you!" the girl with curly brown hair pleaded.  
"No! Get one yourself!" another girl was holding something protectively against her chest. Much to his dismay, Colin saw it was indeed a photograph of Lockhart.  
"Stop being selfish!" another one snapped.  
'If anything she's being selfish!" a fourth girl pulled the curly haired girl's hair, earning a screech of pain. "I want it!"  
"Ladies!" Professor McGonagall appeared at once, her lips were in a tight line.  
Everyone's attention returned back to Seamus, whom didn't look as confident as he'd first been. Hermione smirked smugly, though anyone could tell even she seemed a bit disturbed by the scene.  
"Who wants muffins?" Harry broke the ice. They all stared at him. "What?"  
"Attention, attention?" Professor Lockhart stood in front of the staff table, waving his arms around like a windmill. He looked every bit of mad. His robes were a hideous, but vivid, shade of pink. He looked like a giant piece of bubble gum.  
"What's he doing now?" Harry groaned.  
"Ladies and gentlemen," some of the other professors were looking at him warily, others, like Professor Flitwick, buried his face in his hands as if the world were ending. "Boys and girls of all years, I'm happy to say that this year's Valentine's Day has something very special for you all.."  
"You got fired?" a Ravenclaw boy quipped. Many of the boys laughed hysterically at his comment, ignoring the foul looks from the girls. Harry, Ron, Colin, Dean and Seamus refrained from laughing only because Hermione's piercing glare met their eyes. Neville, who was cowardly anyway, shrunk from her look.  
"No my dear boy," Lockhart said much to cheerfully, "Not at all."  
"Pity," the boy muttered.  
Lockhart continued, "A lot of you wrote Valentines for those special someones and many of you must be thinking, 'Oh how can I give it to them?' Think no more!"  
"Haven't had to do that since you started teaching," Seamus muttered.  
"I have arranged a special treat for you all," he clapped his hands and out of nowhere, dozens of dwarfs marched in with golden wings and carrying harps. Colin's jaw dropped at the sight as did majority of the boys.  
"They will be delivering your valentines for you!" Lockhart beamed.  
At that moment, Professor Snape choose to enter. His normally steel expression morphed into one of shock at the sight of the dwarfs and the decorated hall. "What is all this?" he asked through grit teeth.  
"Why, Valentine's Day of course!" Lockhart eyed the potions master's usual black attire. "Where's your festive robes?"  
"I do not have any," Snape replied calmly, too calmly if you asked anyone.  
"None? I shall conjure you up some!"  
"There is no need-!" Snape was cut off when Lockhart flicked his wrist and his robes went from black to a very bright pink similar to Professor Lockhart's.  
The entire hall went deathly silent for a moment before bursting in hysterical laughter until they couldn't breathe. Even those at the staff table couldn't quite hold in their giggles. Snape looked absolutely livid. Whipping out his wand, he murmured words Colin could not hear or understand by reading the man's lips.  
"Ah, ah, ah. Those are enchanted not to change until midnight. I don't want you missing out on today's spirit by not dressing properly," Lockhart smiled.  
Colin was very sure Snape was not beneath getting into a fight with the man, had it been a muggle school that is. He probably wasn't beneath cursing him until he was goo had Professor McGonagall not been standing mere feet from him, that is.  
"If you don't change this back, Lockhart, I swear you will-" Snape's tirade was cut off by Professor McGonagall's projecting voice.  
"Severus! There are children present!"  
The potions master gave her a very sour glare that did not faze her in the least. He growled. "Severus," she said again, sternly this time.  
Professor Snape glared at Lockhart one last time before departing to the staff table. As he passed giggling students he said in his silky voice, "Any laughter will result in deduction of points and detention which shall last you the rest of the year."  
"Severus, that's hardly fair," Professor McGonagall put her hands on her hips.  
"I am not here to be fair, Minerva," he sneered, grabbing himself a plate. She marched right over to him where they continued to banter over the matter.  
"Sorry about that," Lockhart laughed nervously. Turning his attention to the dwarfs, he said, "Release the Valentines!"  
The dwarfs, with their stumpy legs, came forward on foot. But their walking wasn't good enough for Lockhart. "Use your wings please," he requested with what he thought was a charming smile. "I'm sure the students would love to see you fly."  
They grunted but obayed nonetheless. Into the air they took off like airplanes would at an airport. Their flying, however, wasn't very good. Almost immediately, one lost control, spiraling downward and nearly ramming into a small group of students. The boys were amused, especially Seamus and Harry. "Wham!" The Irish boy shouted, expecting a harsh landing. When the dwarf narrowly missed, he groaned in disappointment.  
"They're like real cupids!" Lockhart beamed at his handy work. "Aren't they wonderful?" He'd barely finished his sentence when another 'accidentally' hit the back of his head with a harp.  
"Sorry," it said gruffly, not sounding apologetic in the least.  
Lockhart recovered from his surprise, chuckling. "Quite alright, sir." The girls awed at his manners.  
"He's such a gentlemen," Parvati Patil whispered to Lavender Brown, who readily agreed.  
The flying dwarfs began swooping down, conjuring up letters in pink or red envelope. Some had a few while others had stacks. Colin watched as nearly a dozen red or pink enveloped letters fell on Harry's breakfast plate. He didn't know what the raven haired boy was more dismayed about: his ruined breakfast or fan mail.  
When the dwarf didn't leave after delivering, they stared at it curiously. "I've got a musical message to deliver as well," he explained, not looking the faintest bit of happy about it.  
"Musical message?" Harry spluttered as Seamus and Ron snickered. "You've got to be kidding-"  
"I wish I was," he drawled. "But I'm not. Might as well get this over with."  
"No. Please don't," Harry pleaded but to no avail.  
"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad   
His hair is as dark as a blackboard   
I wish he was mine, he's really devine   
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."  
After the dwarf finished singing, it flew away, muttering something inaudible. The hall froze for a few seconds, listening to the Valentine before bursting into more laughter. Colin couldn't tell if they were laughing at the valentine or Harry.  
"That-was-perfect-" Seamus had tears in his eyes. "Oh Merlin. Who wrote that thing?"  
"I don't know," Harry grimaced. "And I'd rather not know."  
A few feet away, Colin noticed Ginny blanched. He instantly knew it was her but refrained from saying something. Just because she was acting oddly did not mean he wanted to publicly humiliate her.  
Hermione followed to where his eyes were. She put her hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide for a second before returning to normal. Colin met her eyes, silently begging her not to bring it to anyone's attention. The look in her eyes told him she wouldn't. Their silent communication was broken when Dean's exasperated voice was heard.  
'Seamus! What are you doing? Get down from there!"  
Seamus was standing on top of the bench, looking around with a small frown on his face. He waved his arms crazily, trying to get the dwarf's attention.  
"Not now, Deano. Can't you see I'm busy?" Semus yelled a "Yoo hoo?!" to the miniature men but they just ignored him.  
"Seamus!" Colin was sure if Dean had lighter skin, he would have been blushing. "What did I say about using that nickname in public?"  
"Use it at every opportunity!" his friend said cheerfully. Colin giggled at his silliness. Den wasn't amused.  
"What are you doing?" he asked with a sigh, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with his friend on that subject.  
"Looking for my valentine," Seamus said in a duh tone. "It's obvious they've misplaced it."  
"Or you didn't get any," Ron pointed out.  
"Oh I got some," Seamus grinned. "They probably have a whole stack for me somewhere." Dean, Hermione and Harry groaned in exasperation.  
"How can you be sure?" Neville spoke up in his nervous tone. He stared glumly around the hall."I bet I have none."  
"Oh Neville," Seamus said dramatically. "You have so much to learn about love. I can teach you."  
"Please. Who's gonna teach you?" Dean snorted. They laughed at the annoyed expression on Seamus' face.  
"You know what-" Seamus started. He launched into a deep discussion that Coin only half heartedly listened to. A tiny finger tapped on his shoulder. It was Luna. She had a note that wasn't in an envelope clenched tightly in her hand.  
"Hello Colin," she said in her dreamy voice. "Follow me. I have something for you."  
Coin swallowed despite having nothing nothing in his mouth. "Okay," he breathed. As he stood, he caught Harry's eyes. His raven haired friend smirked, making a little heart motion that nobody but them saw. It made the first year's cheeks burn. "Shut up," he mouthed, which only amused Harry further. Feeling flustered, Colin followed the blonde by the doors of the Great Hall. "What did you need Luna?" he smiled pleasantly.  
"I have a valentine for you," she said, giggling. "Isn't it obvious?"  
Colin's mouth felt dry. "A valentine? For me? Why?" he asked dumbly.  
"Valentines day of course, silly," she giggled again.  
"I thought you didn't fancy me?" he said confusedly.  
She stared at him without blinking. "I don't."  
He let out a breath of air. He sometimes forgot he needed to explain things to her, not that it bothered him. "If you don't like me then why did you write me one?"  
"Because you're my friend," she was smiling now, it made him smile too.  
"So are the others. You didn't write them any," he said.  
"You were my first friend," she corrected herself. "I wanted you to have something. It took me a day to write it. I hope you like it."  
"Oh," he said, not knowing what else to say.  
She held out her hand, valentine in hand. He took it gingerly. "Read it," she urged. He did as she requested.  
Dear Colin,   
You were my first friend besides daddy. I enjoy your company. You don't take my stuff or call me Loony Lovegood. I could never ask for more!   
As the muggles say, be mine.   
Love,   
Luna.   
Colin's stomach did backflips. "This took you a day?" he couldn't help but chuckle.  
"I wanted to figure out what to say," she shrugged. "I hoped it sounded Muggle, you know, make it familiar."  
Colin grinned, lunging forward to bring her in a tight hug. Her hair smelled of vanilla and coconut, it was wonderful. "Thank you Luna," he said sincerely. "I loved it."  
She beamed back in response. Colin's smile vanished when a realization came to mind; he didn't have anything for her, in fact, he didn't have anything for anyone. Was Hermione expecting something as well? He wondered worryingly.  
"Er, Luna," he said, watching her twirl a piece of her hair, "I don't have anything, erm, for you. I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, bracing for her bitter disappointment and possible tears. He'd seen it on the telly loads of times; a boy would forgot an important date and the girl would get angry, usually leading to a fight. Would Luna be the same way?  
But she wasn't. Still smiling and twirling her hair, she spoke, "That's okay. I didn't expect you to."  
This didn't lift his spirits any. "But you got me something," he found himself protesting. "I should do something for you."  
He saw puzzlement linger in her deep blue eyes, like he was talking gibberish. "I don't understand," she confessed.  
Oh, shoot. How was he going to explain this without confusing her more? Despite being feet away and with his back turned no less, Colin could feel the eyes of his friends boring into him, watching him closely, listening too. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to proceed. "Erm, well, when somebody gives you a gift, like on Christmas, you want to give that person something as well, correct?" he waited for her to nod, after she did so, he continued. "It's the same thing for Valentines day. Last year, my dad gave my mom a dozen red roses and she gave him two boxes of chocolates."  
"So I was supposed to give you chocolates?" she stared at him with a blank expression.  
He facepalmed. He wasn't irritated with her though, rather, amused. He should've known he needed to be more specific. "No," he let out a giggle. "You can give the person anything you want, within limits," he added quickly when she opened her mouth to say something. "Do you understand now?"  
Luna bit her tongue, staring off distantly, without blinking. Colin wondered if she was daydreaming again. He cautiously waved a hand in front of her face. "Er, Luna?"  
"Hmm?" she hummed, her eyes focusing on him again.  
"Did you hear what I said?" he asked with uncertainty.  
"Oh yes," she smiled but did not answer further.  
"Do you have an answer for me?" he asked.  
"Oh yes. I believe I understand," she said. "So my note was okay?"  
"Yes," he replied, relieved that she understood.  
"Okay," she said cheerfully.  
"Okay," he couldn't help but mirror her happiness. "Would you like to come sit with us? I'm sure the professors won't mind, since it's a holiday."  
She thought for a second. "Oh, yes. I'd love to!"  
The pair headed back toward the table, but not before Colin hastily stuffed the note in the pocket of his uniform. He loved his friends but they tended to tease him a lot since the day of the party when the twins caught him and Luna outside snuggling. He would rather not be teased in front of her.  
"Good morning everyone," Luna greeted them.  
"Good morning Luna," they said back to her.  
"Luna, did you get any Valentines?" Of course that's the first thing Seamus asks, Colin shook his head.  
"No, but Colin says he's going to do something for me later," she answered, unaware of the teasing looks and smirks that went around the table. Only Hermione and Neville seemed to not be interested.  
"Oh really?" Seamus smirked in Colin's direction causing the younger boy to roll his eyes.  
"Oh yes," she said. "Because I gave him a note as a valentine."  
Colin didn't think the smirk on Seamus' and Harry's face could get any bigger, he was proven wrong. The older boys whispered to each other, giggling like schoolgirls. Even Dean and Ron were on the verge of laughing. Colin didn't know what was so funny. So he asked.  
"Oh, nothing," Harry lied. "Nothing at all."  
Colin narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Harry..."  
"Don't worry about it, Col," he grinned. Colin wasn't comforted by his words, not one bit.  
"Have you two kissed yet?" Seamus blurted out, resulting in a cry of "Seamus!" by Hermione and Dean.  
"What?" he said defensively. "It's a simple question."  
Luna smiled serenely as always while Colin made a face, blushing. "No way. Girls have cooties," he declared. "And kissing is gross, no offense Luna." The blonde didn't seem to be offended in any way.  
"None taken," she said.  
The older ones chuckled. "You won't be thinking that one day when you meet the love of your life," Harry said wisely.  
"Talking from experience, Harry?" Ron said jokingly.  
Harry laughed in response but Colin saw something no one else did: a light blush on his cheeks. He almost gasped right there. Did Harry meet someone? Was he in love? He needed to ask him in private later.  
The conversation died down a bit as they rushed to finish their breakfast before classes began for the day. "I can't believe they're having classes on a holiday," Seamus stabbed his food with a sour look on his face.  
"It's not a major holiday, Shay," Dean reminded him. "Of course there's classes. What did you expect?"  
Before the boys could get into another bickerment, Harry cut in. "Why don't we all hang out later after classes are done for the day?"  
Everyone agreed. They hard Professor Flitwick announce they had five minutes before classes started so they rushed out of the hall to their various locations, feeling excited for late. Colin's classes went by dully. Being that he was younger, he didn't share anything with his older friends and today there were no shared classes with Ravenclaw so he couldn't even see Luna. Unfortunately, in Transfigurations, Professor McGonagall made him and Ginny partners, presumably for them to reconcile their differences. The decision led to disaster. Ginny lost her temper after his several failed attempts at transfiguring a needle into a piece of hay. She'd slammed her fist on the table, disturbing others' concentration, and screamed at him that he was too stupid for this. In mere seconds, the fastest Colin had ever seen someone move, Professor McGonagall was there, demanding an explanation for her behavior. Ginny had none but played it off as his fault. This didn't go over well with Professor McGonagall. She deducted fifty points for disturbance and another fifty for trying to lie, She also gave her detention for two weeks, much to her aggravation. The other Gryffindors in class glared at her for losing them so many points, not that she cared.  
After class, Colin caught up with Ginny, this time he didn't grab her arm but called her name. "What?" she said moodily. "Come to berate me for losing points? Too late."  
"No," he shook his head. "I just want to ask you something."  
She stared at him suspiciously. "Go on," she said at last.  
"Why are you being so mean to people?" he asked softly. "Your brothers, Hermione, Luna, me? We're your friends Ginny."  
Ginny's face turned that infamous Weasley red. She looked ready to explode. "Go away," she whispered hatefully. "Go away and never talk to me again!"  
"B-but-" he stuttered.  
"I said go," she repeated. "You're not my friend. None of you are, now go!"  
Colin sighed, defeated. He didn't want to cause a scene or land Gryffindor in more hot water, s he complied. He made his way back to Gryffindor Tower with his head hung down dejectedly. Ginny was not the same girl he'd met on the boat the night they arrived. What happened to her?  
"Colin!" Harry sounded overjoyed when he came through the portrait hole. "Have a good day?"  
"Sort of," he didn't want to mention the episode with Ginny. "What about you?"  
Harry rolled his eyes as did Ron. Hermione, seeing his bemused expression, explained.  
"Snape took away two hundred points in potions."  
And now there's 300...  
"That's awful," he said. "Do you know why?"  
"He's a git," Ron said almost immediately.  
"Ron," Hermione scolded. "You can't say everyone you don't like is a git."  
'Watch me," the redhead challenged made Harry laugh.  
"So," Colin changed the subject. "Where are the others?" he scanned the room.  
"Haven't come back yet," Harry said. At that moment, the portrait hole opened, they straightened up, but they deflated when it was only Percy, the twins and Lee. That foursome had been spending a lot of time together, Colin noted. Percy had a whole new attitude on life, of course, he still had his moments of bossiness.  
"Happy Valentines Day," Percy said to them. They stared at him, Hermione being the only one to reply back, "Happy Valentines Day, Percy."  
The Prefect gave them a calculated glance. "What's wrong with you lot?"  
"We're bored," Ron whined. "Everyone else is taking so bloody long to get back!"  
"Ron, I don't think mum would like to hear you speaking that type of language," Percy said sternly. Harry shook his head when Hermione opened her mouth, presumably to tell Ron 'I told you so.'  
For once, Ron did not argue. He grumbled but otherwise obeyed his brother. "So," Colin bounced on his heels, "where are we meeting Luna at?" He pretended not to notice Ron and Harry's smirks, instead pointedly staring at Hermione.  
"I don't know," she chewed on her bottom lip. "The library perhaps?" The boys in the room gave her flat looks, even Percy seemed to disagree. "Do you have a better idea?" she glared.  
"The greenhouse?" Percy suggested offhandedly. "It's quiet and I'm sure Professor Sprout would be alright with it as long as you don't mess with anything."  
"You mean as long as Seamus doesn't mess with anything," Ron sniggered.  
"Anyway," Percy rolled his eyes. "How does that sound Hermione?"  
The girl thought it over. "I like it," she declared. "I'll write Luna a quick letter-Harry, can I borrow your owl?"  
Within minutes, the letter was sent and they received a reply as fast as it went out. Luna said she'd be there. Hermione asked Percy if he'd direct Seamus, Dean and Neville to the greenhouse when they came back to the tower, the older boy said he'd be delighted to do it.  
The trio and Colin walked down the greenhouse where Professor Sprout was giving her last lesson. After everyone poured out, they asked the older witch for permission to use it.  
"Is there any specific reason you wish to use the greenhouse?" she frowned.  
"Just somewhere different to hang out, ma'am," Harry chimed in.  
Professor Sprout considered this. "You are aware the castle is still on high alert, yes?"  
They nodded.  
She gave a heavy sigh. "Very well. But when you leave, you must all leave together. I won't have some leaving, some staying. Am I clear?"  
"Yes ma'am," they chorised.  
"Good. You have two hours," with that, she picked up her things and bid them a good day.  
Five minutes later, the rest of the group arrived. Luna had taken off her school robes, showing her rainbow jumper and purple, pink pants. "Hello everyone," she smiled. "How was your classes?"  
"Horrible," Ron scowled.  
"Eventful," Harry sighed.  
"I agree with Harry," Colin murmured.  
"Why?" Luna said in response to Ron's statement.  
"Snape took away two hundred points!" Ron reiterated. Seamus and Dean's jaw dropped in astoundment. Neville didn't look the faintest surprised.  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Seamus exclaimed. "You're joking. You have to be joking."  
"I'm not," Ron said miserably.  
"That's ridiculous," Dean said angrily. "How can he do that?"  
"He's a professor, that's how," Hermione raised her hand to silence them when they started to protest. "Stop it. We're here to have fun; not complain about Professor Snape."  
"She's right," Colin agreed. "Let's give it a rest, alright?"  
The rest of the boys reluctantly let it go, of course, not without Ron muttering about slimy gits. Colin found a spot for them in the back of the greenhouse, away from all the dangerous plants. He noticed Neville was intrigued by it all. Hermione had said he was interested in Herbology.  
"Do you like plants, Neville?" he asked the pudgy boy. They didn't always speak directly to each other but Colin considered him a friend.  
"Hm? O-oh, yes. I love them," Neville replied, his face turning pink.  
"I bet you're fantastic with them," Colin complimented. "Say, you could be the next Herbology professor after Sprout!"  
"Trying to knock her off already?" Seamus teased. Colin rolled his eyes playfully.  
Ignoring the Irish boy, he said to Neville, "Would you like that?"  
Neville gave him a very very tiny smile. "Er, y-yeah. I'd love that."  
Colin smiled back. If anything, he'd given the older boy a confidence boost, even if it was just a small one, and he felt good about it.  
"So what do you want to do?" Seamus laid across Dean lazily before being pushed off. "Oi!"  
"We could play a game," Hermione offered.  
Seamus scoffed. "Aren't we a little too old for games?"  
Dean snorted. "Says the boy who wants to try out for Quidditch."  
Seamus' ears reddened. "That's different." He put his finger t his lips, thinking. "Oh! I know! We could guess at who we think is petrifying everyone." Colin and Harry shared a glance, making a silent but mutual pact that they wouldn't share anything about Hagrid. He got enough grief from students, particularly the Slytherins, as it was.  
"Shay," Dean sighed. "He's obsessed," he told the others. "He's been trying to figure it out for weeks."  
"And I know who it is," Seamus said proudly. Hermione, Harry and Colin stiffened.  
"You do?" Harry sucked in a breath.  
"It's only obvious who it is," Seamus paused for dramatic effect. "Malfoy!"  
Colin let out an outtake of air he hadn't realized he was holding. "See! Seamus agrees!" Ron cried. "I said that but no one believed me."  
"Why?" Seamus stared at them strangely. "He hates muggleborns. It's only logical he'd try and kill them."  
"It's not possible Shay," Harry said.  
"What are you talking about?" Seamus demanded. "I expected you of all people to accuse him."  
Harry didn't want to give any information anyway so he stuck to the generics. "It could be anybody," he said lamely. "You're just assuming."  
Seamus gaped. "You're mad," he muttered. "Completely mad."  
"Or he's not obsessed like you are," Dean rolled his eyes.  
Seamus pouted. "Well then who do you think it is?" he directed his question toward Harry. The raven haired boy was uncomfortable, avoiding the question like the plague.  
"You know who it is!" his friend accused. "You three know as well!" he pointed a finger at Hermione, Ron and Colin.  
"No, we don't," they denied. Colin met Luna's eyes and instantly, he knew that she was aware they knew something but she didn't voice it, thankfully.  
"Can we talk about something else?" Neville whimpered. "I'm scared enough as it is." The gang decided to take mercy on his and changed the subject, something that Seamus wasn't happy about but did so after Desn's and Hermione's glare was sent his way.  
"What are you lot doing for the summer?" Seamus leaned against the wall now that Dean forbid him from using him as a pillow.  
"Daddy and I are going on an adventure to find the lost birds of Galgonka," Luna said. "It's very exciting."  
"How can you find them if they're-" Dean put his hand over Seamus' mouth, indicating that he needed to shut up.  
"That does sound exciting," Harry complimented. "Is anyone else going with you?"  
"No. Daddy likes to have our adventures just for us. It's how we bond."  
"Anyone else?" Seamus asked now that his mouth was free of Dean's hand, after he licked it, of course.  
"Well, me and my gran-" Neville stopped talking abruptly when the sound of harsh footsteps were heard outside the door. "W-what was that?" he paled.  
"I dunno. Whatever it is, it sounds like it's outside the door," Harry swallowed.  
"Waiting for us," Seamus said under his breath. Dean shot him a look.  
"Everyone, grab your wands," Harry instructed.  
"We don't know many spells," Seamus stared at him like he was crazy. "How can we defend ourselves?"  
"Use the ones you do know," Hermione saw a brief flash of panic in Colin's eyes. The poor first year looked scared out of his wits even though he tried to hide it.  
The eight of them held their wands up toward the door, waiting and bracing themselves. But nothing happened. A shadow flashd over the door, as if peeking in, and left in a hurry. "Is it gone?" Neville asked shakily.  
A blood curdling scream was heard seconds later. Neville, Seamus (though he wouldn't admit it), Colin and Ron shrieked back in response.  
"Someone's at the door!" Neville wailed when the doorknob shook roughly.  
The door slammed opened, revealing itself to be Percy. His face was white as a sheet and he looked very concerned. "What's wrong?" he quickly scanned his eyes over them. "Are any of you hurt? I was just walking by when I heard screaming."  
"You heard it too?" Ron whispered, wide eyed.  
"What? You screaming? Yes."  
"No, no," Ron shook his head violently. "The other screaming."  
"The other screaming?" Percy repeated. "Ron, are you sure you're feeling alright? I can take you to the hospital wing." He reached out to him but his younger brother just scowled, pushing him away.  
"I'm fine!" he snapped.  
"Percy," Harry thought it was best he save the situation before Ron really did it and got them all detention. "We heard footsteps then somebody screamed. You didn't hear that? There was even a shadow on the door."  
Percy paled again, if it were even possible. "Go back to the tower. Go!" he ordered. "And no stopping elsewhere."  
"Luna's got to get to her tower," Colin pointed out. "Shall I take her?"  
"No," Percy bit his lip. "She'll have to stay in Gryffindor until I or a professor deems it safe to leave."  
The prefect escorted them to the tower where Luna made herself comfortable in one of the plush chairs. She and the others talked about various things, except the petrifications; Percy forbade them. Colin was quite befuddled on how she seemed to be the only one not upset by the events. She was calm and serene; her usual self. He supposed that's just how she was.  
Percy sent Professor Flitwick a note, informing him of Luna's hereabouts. The tiny professor thanked him and said she could just stay there overnight until they figured out what was going on. This pleased the blonde greatly.  
"Oh, it'll be like a sleepover," she enthusiastically said to Hermione. "I've never been to a sleepover before."  
"Me either," the older girl said and chose her next words carefully. "Luna, you do realize you won't be sleeping with me, right?"  
Luna blinked. "I won't?"  
"They'll probably want you to sleep with someone in your year," Hermione said gently.  
"Like Ginny?"  
"Like Ginny," Hermione nodded.  
"Oh," Luna bit her bottom lip. It broke Colin's heart to see her like that. She didn't show that she was sad but he had a feeling she was by the way her usually bright, cheery eyes drooped.  
"It's okay," he tried to comfort her. "Maybe Ginny won't bother you."  
"Bother her?" Percy sat down next them. He too Luna by the hand, asking, "Has Ginny been bullying you still?"  
"No," the blonde said delicately. "She's just uncomfortable to be around."  
The prefect searched her eyes for any doubt in her words. "You're sure?" he said carefully. She nodded. "Well, okay.."  
The portrait hole opened and in came Professor McGonagall with Ginny in tow. Colin squeezed her hand reassuringly. Percy stood up. "Professor," he nodded curtly.  
"Mr. Weasley," she acknowledged. "I found Miss Weasley wandering the corridors even after we cleared it of students."  
"Ginny," Percy glared at her exasperatedly. "What did I say about obeying your professors? Why are you being so disrespectful lately?"  
Ginny, in her sullen stupor, blew her brother off entirely. It was when she spotted Colin across the room, that she found her voice. "Creevey told you what happened in class today, I expect," she sneered in a way worthy of Malfoy.  
"No," startled, Percy glanced from one to the other. "What happened in class?"  
It was Professor McGonagall who answered. "Miss Weasley made a disturbance in class when Mr. Creevey had trouble with the lesson. She said, and I quote, 'You are too stupid for this.' When I asked for an explanation, she proceeded to lie and saying was Mr. Creevey's fault. I deducted one hundred house points and assigned her more detention." By now, Percy's jaw had dropped in shock. His baby sister never acted so out of line.  
"See to it that she arrives to her detentions, Mr. Weasley and Miss Weasley, I suggest you straighten up your behavior before you find yourself expelled," with that, the transfigurations professor turned to leave, her robe billowing behind her that reminded everyone of Snape.  
No one really knew what to say. Colin was still blushing from Ginny putting him on the spot. Harry and Hermione sent him sympathetic glances but it didn't really help. "Sorry, Gin," he apologized, though he didn't really have to. "I'm really sorry. I should've paid better-"  
"Shut up!" she shrieked. "Shut up you filthy mudblood!"  
The common room froze. Colin felt like he couldn't breathe. It was one thing when Malfoy or another Slytherin name called him but Ginny...  
Harry looked absolutely livid and he wasn't the only one. "How dare you!" a couple of voice shrieked back. Colin was in such a daze he couldn't even recognize who said what.  
"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Percy choked out. "Go to your dorm. I will discuss your punishment with Professor Dumbledore." When Ginny did not move, he bellowed, "GO!"  
The redheaded girl didn't look scared or intimidated by his words. She smirked and sashayed up the stairs and out of sight.  
"Colin," Hermione said softly. "Are you okay?"  
The first year choked back a sob, hiding his face with his hands so no one could see his tears. "Y-yeah," he said tearfully. "I'm fine." Truthfully, he was not fine. He and Ginny had started out well, he thought maybe they'd be best friends. But they didn't. She drifted away and he was okay with that, he had the others and they did talk occasionally. Even so, despite her outbursts and rudeness, it hurt him to think that's what she thought of him. A stupid filthy mudblood. I want my mum, he inwardly wailed. He felt like a baby, wanting his mum, but he couldn't help it. Colin felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him into someone's chest.  
"It's okay," Harry whispered comfortingly. "Shhh. Ginny had no right to say that." Colin normally would've felt quite embarrassed to be crying, let alone sobbing in his best friend's chest but now he couldn't bring himself to care. Seamus didn't even crack a joke about it. He looked angry and every so often he'd glare at the stairs leading to the girls dormitory.  
"I'm so sorry, Colin," Percy sighed, holding his head in his hands. "I don't know what's gotten into her."  
"It's okay," Colin whispered truthfully. He couldn't hate Ginny for what she said, he couldn't hate anyone.  
"I assure you she was raised better," Percy stated. Ron nodded in agreement. He smiled weakly at them, knowing they were only trying to help.

Later, the professors deemed it safe to branch out of their common rooms for dinner. Colin sat with his friends at the Gryffindor table, this time much more talkative and lively. "So, what did that note say, aye?" Seamus teased him, nudging his shoulder.  
"Nothing," the first year mumbled.  
"Must've been something good if you're doing something for her later," Harry winked annoyingly. Colin felt himself turn red. What was with everyone teasing him about Luna?  
"Leave him alone, you two," Hermione chided. "Whatever he does is his includes what was written in that note Seamus Finnigan."  
"But sharing is caring," Seamus grinned lopsidedly. He, Harry, and Ron shared a laugh.  
Colin's stomach dropped as Harry's words sunk in. The day's events robbed him of the time he was suppose to spend figuring out what to do for Luna. Now what am I gonna do? He couldn't ask one of the boys, they'd laugh at him for who knows how long; well, maybe not Dean or Neville but he wasn't that close with them to ask such questions. He decided to ask Hermione, she knew everything.  
"Mione," he began shyly. She turned to smile at him. "Could you, er, help me with something?"  
"You need me to help you figure out an idea of what to do for Luna?" she guessed. He stared. Boy was she good.  
"Yes, please," he nodded vigorously.  
"Okay, hang on." She reached into her bag, pulling out a massive book. "Merlin-" Seamus started but was shushed by Dean. She flipped to her desired page. "Here's a spell that will conjure a bouquet of flowers from the tip of your wand." She held up her wand, pronunciation clearly she said, "Orchideous." Instantly, purple colored flowers came shooting out of her wand. She picked them off, handing them to Colin. "Here you are," she said. "She should love these."  
When dinner was weaning down, Colin swallowed, forcing himself to walk over to the Ravenclaw table. "Hey Luna?" he greeted.  
The blonde smiled at him. "Hello Colin."  
"These are for you," he mumbled, holding the bouquet out. She took them and smelled the tips.  
"Oh they smell lovely. Thank you."  
Colin couldn't help the pleasure he felt at her words. It was very satisfying for him to hear. "You're welcome," he said, trying to ignore the giggling girls nearby.  
"Aww Katie, that's so cute," one girl said to the other. "I think he has a crush on her."  
"Aweee! Puppy love."  
His confidence dropped and he wanted to die from shame. He quickly bid Luna a good night, excusing himself saying that he was awfully tired and he would see her tomorrow. He rushed up back to the tower. The jog he did ended up tiring him out so he decided to hop into bed early. On his way to his own dorm he passed the second year boy's dorm. The door was open and he could hear Harry and Ron muttering frantically. He peered in curiously.  
"Harry? Ron? Are you alright?"  
"Creevey, get in here!" Ron breathed.  
Colin never heard Ron sound so frantic before. He rushed in to find the two boys standing in the middle of the room that was a complete mess. "Did you do this?" he raised his eyebrows.  
"No," Harry's face was white. "It was like this when we came in."  
"Who would-"  
"I don't know," Harry rubbed his face tiredly. "But something's wrong. It's gone Colin, it's gone."  
"What's gone?" Colin asked confusedly.  
"The diary. The diary is missing."


	20. Chapter 20

"You stole from me Colin Creevey."  
Colin whirled around. Riddle stood a few feet away, smiling a bone chilling smile; his handle twirling his wand innocently.  
"What?" Colin choked out. "What are you talking about?"  
"I don't appreciate thieves," Riddle said calmly. "Did your mother not teach you any manners?"  
The comment about his mother angered him. "What are you playing at?" he half shouted. "I didn't steal from you!"  
"Yes you did," this time, he didn't sound so calm, rather, insistant. "You stole my diary."  
Colin couldn't speak. The menacing grin Riddle had on his face as he slowly advanced frightened him more than he wanted to admit. "You stole my diary from Ginny Weasley when she was distracted," Riddle accused. "You took it without permission."  
Colin's heart pounded. His throat felt awfully tight like someone was strangling him. "I-I'm sorry," he choked out. "I-I shouldn't t-taken it."  
"You thought it was okay, didn't you?" Riddle continued to advance. "Thought no one would notice?"  
"I-I-I-I-"  
"You what?" he sneered. "What do you have to say for yourself, Creevey?"  
"I'm sorry!" he wailed. "I'm sorry Riddle!"  
"Sorry isn't good enough," Riddle said calmly. His grin turned sinister and he asked, "Do you know what they do with thieves, Colin?"  
The first year shook his head vigorously.   
"They kill them," RIddle whispered gleefully. "Avada Kedavra."  
A bright green light shot out of his wand. Colin let out a scream as it hit him square in the chest.  
"NOOOOOO!" Colin bolted up in bed, soaked in his own sweat. He didn't seem to notice all the lights came on in the dorm along with his dormmate's concerned faces hovering close to him.  
"Dude, are you okay?"  
'Why isn't he talking?"  
" I dunno, shut up. You're too close Ginkowski!"  
"Sorry."  
Lewis, the first boy, peered at Colin's rocking form. The poor boy wa absolutely scared out of his wits. Whatever spooked him, Lewis doubted he'd be getting sleep for a long time.  
"Colin," he said in a soft voice. "It's okay. You're okay."  
Colin came back to his senses, face reddening at the sight of them. "Did I wake you up?" he asked, voice hoarse from screaming.  
"Errr," Lewis and two other boys laughed awkwardly. They didn't want to embarrass him more than he already was. "Nooo..."  
Yes you did," Ginkowski blurted out. "You were pretty loud." The other boys glared at him for his tactlessness.  
"Nice going," Lewis punched his shoulder when Colin mumbled apologies. "Seriously, it's fine. Ginkowski here just doesn't know when to shut up."  
Colin smiled weakly.  
Lewis sat on the edge of his bed. "You want to talk about it?"  
"Not really," Colin mumbled. He doubted they would understand.  
"Well, alright." The boys hopped into bed with Lewis still telling Ginkowski off. Colin laid back down, feeling wide awake. There was no way he was getting sleep after that.

"What do you mean it's gone?" Hermione demanded at breakfast. "What did you idiots do with it?"  
The horrifying nightmare left Colin understandably shaken. Despite numerous attempts, he'd been unable to get back to sleep. Every time he tried to close his eyes, all he heard was Riddle's haunting voice. It left him in a state of panic. He laid awake in his bed until dawn where he dressed in record time to wait downstairs in the common room for the trio. Harry hadn't gotten much sleep either; there were bags underneath his eyes and he kept yawning. Colin wondered if he'd had a nightmare as well or if it was because of the Quidditch game to take place that morning. Wood's mandatory practice because practices. He forced the team to train daily even in the harshest weather conditions; like the chilling February air.  
The foursome made their way down the hall for breakfast. Everybody was ready to root for their team-Gryffindor or Slytherin. Colin noticed that Harry looked nauseated and hesitant to eat. He'd been told that Harry and Ron searched half the night for the diary but couldn't find it. It was like it vanished out of thin air.  
I think I know what really happened to it.  
He couldn't be certain; he couldn't even be partially. But he had a theory; Ginny had taken the diary. It was fairly possible. She was upset when it was taken on Christmas Eve and immediately blamed him for it. It was seemingly logical that she figured out it was in Harry's trunk so she went to take back what she thought was hers. But something pegged him; why did she go through everyone else's things? If she knew it was with Harry's stuff then why go through the others? The only problem to his theory was he couldn't prove it all. Ginny hadn't come to breakfast with it in hand nor had she given anyone indication that she had it in her possession.  
"We didn't do anything!" Ron said, offended by her words. "What makes you think we did something to lose it?"  
She uncharacteristically snorted. "Don't even get me started Ronald Weasley."  
Ron opened his mouth to argue but Harry clamped his hand over the redhead's mouth, urging him not to. "We didn't lose it," Harry said calmly. "Our dorm was trashed last night and the diary was gone. Whoever trashed it took the diary."  
Hermione frowned. "But who would do such a thing?"  
"I don't know, Hermione. Why don't we go around asking people, hmm?" Ron said sarcastically.  
"No need to be rude!" she snapped.  
"No need to ask stupid questions!"  
"Alright," Harry cut in. "Enough!" They complied, glaring at each other. "We're not going to figure this out if you two don't stop arguing."  
"She started it!" Ron exclaimed.  
"Honestly," Hermione hissed. "You're such a child!'  
"Oh, yeah? Well at least I don't have poofy hair!" Ron huffed.  
Harry and Colin griminced. This would surely not end well. And it didn't. Hermioen gaped at the redhead, unable to form words. It wasn't that his remark completely rendered her speech, Colin noticed. But the fact was that she was growing extremely angry. He couldn't blame her. Ron could be childish and downright ugly in arguments.  
"You are so-ugh!" Hermione pushed away her plate, stomping out of the hall with quick steps. Harry glared at Ron, who had the decency to look ashamed.  
"Now look what you've done! This was important, Ron."  
"But she started it," he protested. "She did!"  
Colin played with the food on his plate, lost in thought. He was still freaked out by the dream. Why was Riddle suddenly appearing in his sleep? It wasn't just a occasional occurrence-it was every night. Ever since he and Harry saw the memory things had gotten different. Alarmingly different.  
"Harry," he spoke up. 'Can I talk to you? I had a rather disturbing dream that I think you should know about." Ron's scoff did not pass his ears but he just ignored it. Now was not the time to argue.  
"Can it wait? I really need to be going," Harry stood up, looking at him expectantly. Ron was to his feet as well, he didn't look nearly as patient as Harry did.  
"Yes," Colin mumbled. "I suppose it can."  
"Are you coming to the game?" Harry asked, pushing and scolding Ron who seemed to be trying to pull him away from the conversation.  
"Er, yeah. In a few," Colin smiled. "Good luck, Harry; not that you need it." His 'brother' grinned, reaching down to tightly hug him before departing off with Ron to the field. Hmm, what to do now. Colin took a sip of his juice as he considered his options. He thought about trying to find Hermione and seeing if she was okay. Nah, I should just leave her alone. He really didn't want to face her wrath.  
There was a another thought, albeit dangerous, that entered his mind. He had half a mind to go and confront Ginny about the diary. He had such a strong feeling she had it. He weighed the options: confront her and deal with the consequences or ignore it and the nagging feeling he had. What if she calls you a mudblood again? He visibly winched. He'd been a total mess after hearing it from her the first time; what would happen if she said it again?  
He finally decided on a walk around the school to clear his head. It was also dangerous but he thought it was worth it. Once out the hall, he made a left with no real destination in mind. He neared the stairs, passing a window which gave him the view of the Quidditch field. The players were warming up with a few practice moves. Even with a great distance between them, he still knew which was Harry. He recognized that mop of hair anywhere.  
Colin set off again. His mind wandered back to everything that had been happening since term began. The voices in Harry's head. The petrifications. The diary. Tom RIddle. Hagrid's odd behavior. The death of that girl fifty years ago. It was all so close together but they were so off.  
What could we possibly be missing?  
"Ooo ickie Creevey."  
Resisting the urge to groan, Colin looked up into the eyes of Peeves. The poltergeist was grinning madly, his walking stick was firmly gripped in his hand. He quickly learned it was never a good thing to be alone with Peeves or any time for that matter.  
"Hello Peeves," he greeted cautiously. "How are you?"  
Wordlessly, Peeves raised his arm and gave his head a big wack with his walking stick. Thumpetty thump thump," he cackled. A soaring pain shot through his head that caused the young lad to winch.  
"Ow," Colin muttered, blowing out a puff of air. "Don't you have something better to do than bother me?"  
Peeves grinned wickedly. "Peevsy never bothers students," he stopped abruptly, narrowing his eyes. "You calling Peevsy bad?"  
Uh oh. "No," he said quickly. "Not at all."  
The poltergeist floated around sitting cross legged, his hand rubbed his chin, humming a tune of his own composition. "Wee little Creevey is glum," he observed.  
Colin blinked. "I am not."  
"Peevsy notices. Creevey is acting odd."  
"No, I'm not."  
"Wee little Creevey is scared," a sly grin made its way onto the poltergeist face. "Is little Creevey homesick?"  
"No," he scowled, crossing his arms across his chest. "I'm not homesick." Well, that wasn't entirely true. He did miss his family terribly, but he certainly wasn't going to admit that to Peeves.  
"Is little Creevey scared of being..." Peeves got up close to his face, "petrified?"  
"No! Go away," Colin jerked away but was not quick enough. Peeves grabbed a hold of his waist, slowly lifting him up in the air.  
"AHH!" Colin shrieked. "PUT ME DOWN!"  
Peeves giggled. "Scared now, wee little Creevey?"  
"I'M SERIOUS! PUT ME DOWN PEEVES!"  
"As you wish," Peeves brought his arm back, tossing the small boy into the air. Colin emitted another shriek as he looped around the chandeliers, fearing to crash into one. Miraculously, no such thing happened. Each time his body pointed downwards, a clammy hand gripped his leg again tossing him up.  
"STOP IT! AHHHHH!"  
"Peeves!"  
A voice boomed down below. "Put Mr,. Creevey down this instant!" Professor McGonagall had her hands on her hips, lips pursed in a thin line and a very firm look on her face; clearly showing she meant business.  
Peeves made a traasberry at her, which she ignored. Colin felt utterly mortified to see that not only were Harry and Ron standing there but so was both Quidditch teams and some of the fans. The Slytherins were cracking up as were a few others.  
"Colin!" Harry wasted no time checking for injuries. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?"  
"Harry, it's okay. I'm fine," a red tinge appeared in his cheeks and the tops of his ears. "Seriously." He appreciated the concern, it was nice to have someone else care for you, though Harry seemed to act like his mother whenever he or Dennis hurt themselves.  
Even Ron knew it was a bit much. "C'mon Harry, he's fine. Peeves just tossed him around. You're okay, aren't you Colin?" There was no agitated tone nor any resentment like usual, the first year was taken aback briefly.  
"Uh, Yeah."  
"See," Ron looked pleased.  
Harry scratched his head, sheepishly. "Heh heh...Sorry Col. I saw Peeves doing that to you and...I dunno I got scared."  
"Oh, Harry," Colin embraced him. "You're the best big brother I've never had." Harry squeezed his eyes shut to prevent any tears from leaking out. It didn't matter who was watching them; it didn't even matter that a decent chunk of people gawked at them like they'd grown second heads. Nothing mattered at that moment. This was the first true moment where Colin had called him his big brother and when he truly felt like one. Being so in tune to just them, they didn't hear Professor McGonagall shoo away the crowd or Draco Malfoy's insults.  
"Ahem." The boys let go, a bit abashed when met with Professor McGonagall's eyes. "I apologize that I must interrupt this moment but I believe you three need to see this. Follow me." Cluelessly, they followed her all the way to the hospital wing. Colin's stomach filled with dread. Someone had been petrified, he just knew it. But who?  
Oh Merlin, what if it's Luna?   
He stiffened. No, it couldn't be Luna; it just couldn't. Harry took note of his change in demeanor. Pulling him close, Harry asked quietly what was wrong.  
"What if Luna got petrified?" Poor Colin looked so scared. "What if she doesn't wake up? What if-"  
Harry gently put a finger to his lips, shushing him. "It's going to be okay, Col. Don't be scared. I'm sure everything is alright."  
But it was not alright.  
"Miss Granger was found outside the library by Miss Lovegood," Professor McGonagall said.  
"Will she be alright?" Harry asked desperately.  
"Certainly, Mr. Potter. Professors Snape and Sprout are working diligently on a remedy," she answered smoothly.  
Colin didn't know what to feel or think. Gingerly, he poked Hermione's cold hand. She just looked so..so..lifeless. It was like she was dead. How did this even happen? I just saw her this morning! If Ron hadn't made her mad, she might still be okay. Harry must've had the exact thought, for he jabbed the redhead's chest, speaking low that Colin couldn't understand him, but knew by the look in his eyes. Harry's eyes were more expressive than people gave them credit for. If he was happy, they sparkled when the light hit them; but if he was angry, they flashed in a terrifyingly close way with the spell in his dream.  
"You're very tense." The sudden noise nearly put him in early heart failure. Across the bed, holding Hermione's hand loosely, sat Luna; her hair covering half her face, which only made her innocence even more striking. "Is it because of Hermione?" There was a pause, she moved a piece of hair from Hermione's forehead. "I always thought she had the prettiest hair, don't you?" she commented idly. "It's very frizzy but that gives it character, I believe."  
"Oh yeah," he replied unsurely. "But I wouldn't want to have her hair, too much work in the morning for me." What am I doing? Talking about hair over Mione's petrified body... But that was the type of conversation one could expect when being friends with Luna Lovegood.  
"That's very true," she paused for a moment, "perhaps if she so choices, we could find charms to tame it. But I don't think she needs it. It's beautiful the way it is."  
"Ah, Luna?" he interrupted her spiel. "Can I ask you something?"  
"You already did silly," she giggled.  
A stupid grin made its way on his face as it always did at the sound of her laughter. Focus Colin, he ordered himself. "What I meant was: do you think dreams mean anything?"  
Her blue eyes stared straight at him, with her mouth opened ever so slightly. "Of course they do," she said. "You've had a dream recently, I suppose?"  
"Yeah," he let out a sigh, drumming his fingers on the edge of the bed. "Could you dispher it for me?"  
"Of course," she agreed.  
"Well, so this guy-"  
"You mean Tom RIddle?"  
This rendered him speechless. How did she knew? He hadn't told her-or anyone frankly-anything about him. "How did you-" he started.  
"I overheard you, Hermione, Ron and Harry talking about him," she said simply. "He was in the diary, correct?" Note to self: in the future, include Luna because she'll figure it out anyway. He'd heard Hermione telling Ron and Harry that Luna acted like a seer; he'd heard of those and it didn't sound far off from the truth.  
"Yeah," he said. "So anyway, I was in a corridor and-" Professor McGonagall appeared at the bedside; she was ushering them all back to their respective towers. Colin tried to continue but Professor McGonagall opened the door to the hallway, motioning for him, Ron and Harry to walk through. "Miss Lovegood will wait with Madam Pomfrey until Professor Flitwick gets here," she said when he protested. "Move along." Having no choice, he accompanied them back to Gryffindor Tower where the whole house was. Oliver Wood was quite ruffled about the cancelled game that day ("So that's why you guys came back so early," Colin whispered to Harry, realization drawing in) and especially when announced it would be cancelled until further notice.  
"But Professor," he had that crazed glint in his eyes, the one that reminded everyone Quidditch was the same as breathing air to Wood. "You can't do this! Wwe ned to win the cup. We need to!"  
"Mr. Wood, my word is final," she stated sternly. "Unless you would like a detention..."  
"Can you believe it?" Rn said shakily. "It got Hermione.." The three of them stood at the back of the common room by the staircases, pale and shocked with grief. What will we do now? Colin thought glumly. Hermione was the smartest person in their group. WIthout her, they were lost for sure.  
"Well if you hadn't been a jerk this morning it might not have happened," Harry hissed quietly to the astoundment of the redhead.  
"Me? Why are you blaming me for this?"  
"You should know. I spent ten minutes scolding you like a child."  
"That's it!"  
"Stop it!" Colin snapped with unnatural anger. He shoved than apart just as they were about to go head-to-head. "Stop it! What is wrong with you two?"  
"That would take too long to explain Colinkins," Fred and George appeared, sniggering. Their friend, Lee, Colin noticed, was riling everyone up with accusations about who could've done it-Professor McGonagall had long since departed.  
"Harry says it's my fault Hermione got petrified," the redhead pointed a long finger in Harry's direction, whining simultaneously.  
"And why is that?" the twins were not partial, despite being Ron's brothers. Instead of glaring at Harry or even him, they set their eyes on Ron expectantly.  
"He made Hermione mad and she ran away," Harry glared. His response and tone made Colin's eyebrows raise. He'd only heard the older boy get that upset when something happened to him. Maybe he's just overprotective with his friends, he thought. Yes, that had to be it.  
"And did you?" the twins directed this to Ron, whom rubbed the back of his neck, swaying a bit from side to side.  
"Erm well...so what if I did?" he said defensively. "I didn't mean to upset her. Girls are too sensitive."  
"I think we have a dolt for a brother, dearest Gred," George sighed.  
"Yes, I do believe we do, Forge," he mimicked his twin. "What possessed you to do it if you knew she was sensitive?"  
Ron could not answer his question. Spluttering, he turned red from the glares and looks of disgruntlement. "Oh lay off!" he cried. "You two tease Ginny all the time and she's sensitive."  
"But Ginny's our sister," Fred argued.  
"Yeah. Hermione's your best friend," George added. "And you didn't tease her; you upset her like you always do."  
Colin thought the redhead would start another fight or point out how it wasn't his fault but shockingly, he didn't. His body slumped, anger faded and there was a clear cut film of shame on his freckled face. "M'sorry," he mumbled to the group. "You're right, I should've let up," he said the last part to Harry. The raven haired boy, with his hands shoved in his pockets, mumbled a similar apology for what he'd said in the infirmary.  
"Now are all you kiddies okay?" George said teasingly. "Or do I need to bring out the reinforcements," he sighed dramatically, looking to his right. Nothing or nobody appeared. "I said do I need to bring out the reinforcements?!" There was a shout of "Oh!" and Percy stumbled down the stairs, tripping and falling on the last two steps. George and Fred facepalmed in exasperation.  
"Percy!" Fred helped him up. "We practiced this!"  
"I know, I'm sorry," the prefect apologized, glancing back at the stairs. "Someone should really put carpet on those. They'd be far less slippery." The twins rolled their eyes, gripping their brother by his arms, dragging him to a corner, presumably to discuss their latest scheme. This left the second years and Colin to themselves. No one really wanted to speak at the moment. They were too preoccupied with the image of Hermione lying lifelessly in the hospital wing, cold and still as a statue. Of course, silences can't be kept for long; especially when a certain Irishman makes his presence known.  
"I don't care what anyone says, it's got be Malfoy," Seamus was telling Dean. "I mean really, who else-oh hey guys! I heard about what happened with Peeves, Colin."  
"Great," the first year groaned. "I bet it's all over the school by now."  
"Most likely," Seamus said cheerfully. "But hey, at least it's not about you and Mrs. Norris anymore." Dean elbowed his side, giving him a sharp look as if to say Seriously Shay!?  
"I think I liked the accusations better," Coin said dryly. "At least none of them were embarrassing." Harry squeezed his shoulder. "It'll wash away eventually."  
"But when?" Colin crossed his arms. "I bet Malfoy's milking this until I graduate."  
"Not to put a damper on your plans," Harry looped his arm around the smaller boy, "but we graduate before you," he grinned.  
"Oh yeah," Colin began laughing when Harry gave him a noogie to the head. "Stop that," he tried to wiggle away but the older boy's hands firmly held him in place. Dean and Seamus watched in amusement. "I hate you," he said when he finally escaped.  
"You wish you did," Harry snorted. Colin stuck his tongue out. Seamus suddenly gasped.  
"I have a crazy theory!"  
"When don't you?" Dean rolled his eyes but was ignored.  
"WHat if Lockhart's behind all this?"  
"Behind what?" Ron asked, who perked up at the mention of the idiotic professor.  
"What if he's the one petrifying everyone?" Seamus grinned crazily. "Think about it: it didn't start until this year and who started teaching this year?"  
"Lockhart," Harry said slowly. "But why would it be him? He's a prat but I don't think he's evil."  
"That's what he wants you to think," Seamus insisted. "He's got the girls wrapped around his finger so they won't suspect him. But what about the boys and the other professors? Surely we can convince them."  
"I dunno Shay," Dean frowned. "I agree with Harry. WHy would Lockhart do something like that anyway? It seems a little improbable."  
"Think about it Dean. WHat does Lockhart love more than himself?" Seamus asked, waiting patiently.  
"Publicity," the four other boys realized.  
"Exactly. What better publicity than saving Hogwarts students who'd been petrified? It all makes sense."  
"Says the fool who's been mouthing off for days that Malfoy is definitely the cause of it," Dean raised his eyebrows but the Irish boy was not be deterred.  
"I can change my mind."  
Seamus and Dean bickered back and forth while Colin spoke in a hushed whisper to Harry and Ron. "Do you believe any of that?" he asked.  
"I dunno," Harry shrugged. "Makes sense, sort of."  
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Certainly explains a few things. But why would Lockhart petrify his own fans. You'd think he'd want to go after bigger things like-"  
"Like the boy-Who-Lived," Colin finished for him. "Right. If Shay is right then you need to be careful, Harry."  
"How much more careful can I be?" the older boy scowled before taking on a thoughtful expression. "But what about Tom Riddle? Do you think he's working with Lockhart somehow?"  
"How could he?" Ron asked. "Isn't Riddle from fifty years ago, the one you two saw a memory of? How would they even talk? I haven't seen anyone knew around the castle and Dumbledore's not going to let just anyone in."  
"Unless," Harry closed his eyes. "Unless he has the diary."


	21. Chapter 21

Colin's eyes became wide as saucers. The diary! He hadn't even thought of that! All along he'd been silently accusing Ginny but could he have been wrong? Could Lockhart have indeed snuck into the dorm and trashed the place just to get it? He toyed with the idea. Sure, it was somewhat plausible but it didn't make total sense to him. He couldn't say why but there was a twinge of doubt; something that said it was wrong.  
"I don't think so," he declared quietly. "I don't think it's Lockhart." Ron stared in disbelief at his words.  
"Why not? You heard Seamus, it makes sense! He's obviously doing it for publicity."  
"I dunno, Ron," Harry shrugged. "I agree with Colin. The git likes the spotlight but I can't see him trying to hurt students over it."  
"Well then who else could be doing it?' Ron said, somewhat annoyed that no one was agreeing with him.  
"I don't know but I know one thing for certain: it's definitely not Hagrid," Harry stated. "There's no way Hagrid would hurt Hermione."  
"That's true," Colin said and Ron had to concurr. "But why was he acting strange after we talked to him? He sure looked guilty."  
"Why don't we go upstairs to talk," Harry suggested. "So no prying ears can listen in." He was referring to a group of nosy first years a few feet away. They were straining to eavesdrop while doing a not so great job of pretending to be engrossed by their homework. Subtlety, Colin decided, was not their strong point.  
The three boys ascended the stairs, up to Harry and Ron's dorm, and closed the door. All three of them perched on Harry's bed, continuing the conversation. "So is Hagrid guilty or not?" Ron asked, completely lost.  
"I don't think so," Harry disagreed. "I can't see him hurting anyone."  
"But what about Riddle?" Colin hugged a pillow to his chest. "And the memory? It sure looked real to me."  
"You can't fiddle with a memory, at least, I wouldn't think so," Ron shrugged.  
Harry fell on his back, groaning and rubbing his face tiredly. "Nothing makes sense anymore! I don't understand.."  
Ron sat up straighter, ready to take charge. Gently, yet firmly, he said, "What exactly did Riddle tell you? Don't leave anything out."  
Harry and Colin reiterated everything, filling in what the other forgot to mention. Ron listened attentively, nodding at important parts. Colin was impressed at how serious he was acting. Finally, the redhead spoke up. "Was he a prefect or head boy? He sounds like Percy, well, how he used to be."  
Harry face palmed. "Out of all that, that's what you're concerned about?"  
"Sorry," Ron smiled sheepishly. "We should really talk to him. He could help us since he knows so much."  
"You're right Ron!" Harry exclaimed with false excitement before deflating. "If only we had the diary, hmm," he deadpanned.  
"Oh, right," Ron blushed.  
"Anyway," Colin rolled his eyes at Harry's antics. "We tried talking to him last time and he ignored us, remember?"  
"Maybe he wasn't home," Ron suggested humorously. Harry and Colin rolled their eyes, shaking their heads with a sigh.  
"Don't quit your day job, Ron," Harry said dryly.  
"Huh?" Ron blinked in confusion. "I don't have a job."  
"Never mind," Colin said quickly. They were off track and he needed to get them focused. "What we need to do is find the diary so we can talk to Riddle."  
"How will we do that? It could be anywhere! This castle is bloody huge," Ron waved his arms around to emphasize his point. "Hermione would know what to do," he sulked.  
His statement resulted in an uneasy silence. They'd been so caught up in the discussion they momentarily forgot about her. Colin's heart ached just thinking about her. He should've went with her, comforted her maybe. She might still be okay if he had.  
"Hermione is clever but so are we," Harry proclaimed. "We can figure this out without her. We just have to try. Are you with me?" he looked at Ron and Colin for confirmation.  
"We're with you," they chorused.  
"Fantastic. Now where do we start first?"  
"We could list who we think stole the diary," Colin offered his two cents.  
Shockingly, Ron nodded. "I like that. Who do you think did it, Colin?"  
"Er," Colin chewed on his lip, mumbling his reply.  
"What? Didn't hear you," Ron said patiently. "Have to repeat that."  
"IthinkitwasGinny," Colin turned away as to avoid seeing the anger on the redhead's face that was sure to come. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Ron say:  
"Do you? Why do you think that?" He sounded curious and not furious like the younger lad thought he'd be. Harry was nonplussed by his friend's reaction, having expected the same outcome.  
"Well," Colin paused, unsure of how to put this delicately. "You know how she's been awfully angry lately?" Ron nodded yes. "Well, I think, somehow, it has to do with the diary. Riddle said he didn't know any Weasley but, I dunno, I have a feeling. It might all be connected but I can't prove it. I don't know if she took it but I suspect that she did."  
Ron rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well, you're about one thing: she is acting odd. I don't know what she'd want with an old diary. She hasn't even wrote anything in it."  
Harry spoke up, answering directly to his last sentence. "Every time someone writes in it, the ink fades. Whatever she's writing it doesn't stay."  
"Then why is she so bloody protective of it then?" Ron said in bewilderment. "Thought she was going to destroy Colin when he took it."  
"I'd like to know that myself," Colin voiced his thoughts.  
"Okay, so far all we have is we're not sure what to think of Hagrid, we think Ginny took it," there was a nod of heads. "And we think it's connected but we're not sure how. Hmm," Harry hummed, trying to form a plan. "We need do something and fast before someone else is petrified."  
"Maybe we should try to talk to Hagrid again," Colin said.  
"He kicked us out last time," Ron reminded him. "Obviously he doesn't want to hear what we have to say."  
"I have to agree with Ron," Harry sent an apologetic glance to his brother.  
"That's because we cornered and accused him. He was flustered; anyone would be in his position," Colin speculated. "We could go back tonight after curfew and apologize. Maybe he'll help us understand what happened fifty years ago so we can figure out what to do now."  
Harry and Ron looked impressed by his plan. "I think we've corrupted him," Harry commented, grinning as he ruffled Colin's hair despite the younger boy's protests.  
" 'Fraid so," Ron snickered before turning serious. "But how are we going to sneak out? We'll get caught by Filch!" his face paled. Getting caught by a teacher was one thing, Filch was a whole other subject.  
"No we won't. I have my invisibility cloak," Harry jumped off the bed, opened his trunk and rummaged through it, looking for the desired item.  
"We all can't possibly fit," Ron claimed. "There's not enough room!"  
"Let's try than," Harry beckoned them over, unfolding the thin fabric until it was hanging freely with only a few wrinkles. "Come on." Ron and Colin hopped off the bed, approaching Harry carefully. The raven haired boy cast it over them, shaking it until they donned it perfectly. It was a tad difficult, seeing that Colin was a lot smaller than Ron and Harry were but they managed.  
"See," Harry said triumphantly. "We will. Let's do this!"  
The boys waited the rest of the day impatiently. The professors had forbid anyone from leaving the tower, even considering bringing up dinner for everyone. It was incredibly boring, being stuck in with no other interaction with the other houses. Colin particularly wanted to see Luna and let her in on the plan. She wouldn't be able to aid them this time but the other boys agreed she ought to know. He thought about sending her a letter but Seamus offhandedly said that the professors were probably checking all the mail so that nixed that idea. Well, he'd just have to figure out another way.  
It was ten minutes after dinner was supposed to start when Professor McGonagall called all the Gryffindor's down to the common room. She stated that Professor Dumbledore declared it safe to eat in the Great Hall as long as they stayed together and didn't go anywhere alone. ("There could be a killer loose and Dumbledore would say it's safe," Seamus snickered to Dean).  
After being escorted, the three boys found their seats. Colin craned his neck looking for Luna but the Ravenclaws hadn't come down yet. When he turned back, it was then he noticed the same look on Ron and Harry's faces they had on Valentines day.  
"What?" Colin demanded defensively. "I was just looking for Luna."  
They shared a glance, smirking. He knew what they were thinking and suddenly he felt immensely thankful that Seamus decided not to sit with them that evening; he was far worse. "Oh lay off," he scowled at them, feeling irritable.  
"We didn't say anything," Harry pointed out, his eyes glistening with amusement. "Something you want to tell us, Col?"  
"No," Colin huffed. He really wished Hermione was there. She'd put a stop to their teasing.  
The rest of the school filed in. As predicted, some of the students teased and mocked Colin for the performance with Peeves. Ernie Macmillan was one of those students. He was still angry at Harry for what happened at the dueling club and for the petrifactions of his two best friends for which he still blamed Harry for. His other friend, Susan Bones, was mortified by his behavior. She hastily pulled him to their table, whispering angrily in his ear the entire way.  
Colin did eventually see Luna. She was in the herd of Ravenclaws that came down after the Hufflepuffs. She wasn't talking with anybody nor did she appear to be walking with anyone in particular. It was rather unfortunate to see. Yet again, as he focused back to his own table, his friends were giving him the 'look'. The look that clearly stated: you like her, you like her.  
Colin refused to give them any more ammunition. He stayed quiet while Dumbledore stood, giving them a warning lecture about the dangers of Hogwarts these days and how they should work together, not against, to stay safe until they figured out who was the cause of all this.  
Naturally, as soon as he stopped speaking, the hall dissolved into whispers. Most thought they had it solved. Some suspected Snape, Malfoy or Harry. Some of the Pure-Bloods, who'd heard about the events from fifty years ago, thought it was the same person and it was somehow connected. Harry, Ron and Colin ignored everyone else's chatter. It would only derail them from their goal.  
As he ate, Colin glanced up at the staff table and noticed something peculiar. Hagrid wasn't there. It wasn't unusual for him to be occasionally late for a meal but he never ever missed it. A few minutes and the half-giant still hadn't appeared.  
"Harry," he whispered frantically. "Harry, look!" he discretely jerked his head.  
Harry and Ron followed to where he was pointing at withe their eyes. Harry got it faster than Ron, who was still trying to figure it out. "Hagrid," Harry said in realization. "Hagrid's not there. Where could he be? He never misses a meal."  
"Maybe he's sick," Colin considered with uncertainty.  
"Hagrid's not the one to get sick," Harry said decisively.  
"Maybe he wanted to escape Lockhart," Ron snorted. "I don't blame him."  
"No," Harry said carefully. "I don't think that's it."  
"Does it really matter?" Ron asked with a frown. "I mean, it's just one meal. He might be busy for all we know."  
"That's true," Harry conceded. "But I just have a feeling; a feeling that it's something else."  
Frankly, Colin did too. As much as he was suspicious of Hagrid at first, he had to convince himself that Hagrid wouldn't do anything to hurt them. He was probably upset that his closest friends were accusing him. It's not like we'd accuse him of doing that to Hermione.  
It was then that the light bulb in his head went off.  
"That's it," he breathed in realization. His two friends stared stupidly at him.  
"What?"  
"Hagrid thinks we might accuse him of petrifying Hermione," he explained lowly so no prying ears could hear him. "He's avoiding us!"  
"Ooooh," Harry and Ron couldn't believe they hadn't realized that.  
"That makes sense," Ron commented. "You're not as stupid as you look, Colin."  
Colin didn't know whether that was a compliment or not so he just smiled, albeit awkwardly. Harry was engrossed in his own thoughts that the redhead's comment didn't register in his brain.  
"We'll have to ask him about that tonight," Harry said in a hushed whisper.  
Colin rolled his eyes. Harry was smart yet so thick at the same time. "Are you mad? He'll just get defensive and kick us out again."  
"Oh, right," Harry said sheepishly. Clearly he hadn't thought of that. "Do you have a better idea in mind?"  
"Don't bring it up, maybe?" Colin said dryly. "If Hagrid wants us to know he'll tell us on his own." The two other boys uttered an "Oh yeah. That's true." Colin facepalmed. Truly, it seemed, that times like these, he should've been the second year and them first years. How they managed to pass last year was unbeknownst to him.  
They wouldn't have without Hermione, he thought with a smirk.  
But the smirk vanished and a feeling of sadness washed over him. Poor Hermione. He could only hope the antidote was made as quickly as he hoped.  
"Say," Harry piped up, bringing Colin out of his thoughts. "You never did tell me about your dream."  
His dream! He'd nearly forgotten. Colin straightened up, his eyes darting from side-to-side to make sure no one suspicious was listening in and he leaned forward, whispering somewhat excitedly. He'd been wanting to inform Harry of it all day and now he had his chance!  
"It was in the same corridor as the memory," this alone intrigued Ron and Harry. "I heard someone "you stole from me Colin Creevey."  
"Who was it?" Harry asked eagerly.  
"Riddle. He says I stole his diary," Colin bit his lip uneasily. "He knows. He knows that I took it from Ginny!"  
"Keep your voice down," Harry commanded quietly, watching the redheaded girl sulk by herself, hardly touching her food. "Then what happened?"  
"He kept insisting I took it and I told him I sorry and he," Colin drew in a long, shaky breath, "he asked me if I knew what people do with thieves."  
Ron and Harry looked horrified.  
"He said 'Aveda Kedevra' and this bright green light came out of his wand. Just as it hit me, I screamed and woke up."  
"Merlin," Ron muttered just as Harry said, "Have you told anyone else? McGonagall? Dumbledore?"  
"No," Colin shook his head. "I tried to tell Luna earlier but McGonagall interrupted."  
"You should've told her," Harry frowned. "Or Dumbledore-somebody."  
"Shall we talk about Dumbledore, Mr. I -Hear-Voices?" Colin retorted, giving him a flat look. He eyed him calculatedly. "It hasn't let up, has it?"  
"No," Harry admitted. "I still hear it."  
"You really need to tell someone," Colin muttered, shaking his head at his brother's stupidity.  
"Why? It's fine," Harry shrugged it off. "It's not dangerous." He took a long drink of his pumpkin juice. "Your dream, on the other hand, is dangerous. What's Aveda Kedevra mean, anyway? I've never heard of it. Have you, Ron?"  
Ron shrugged. "I dunno. Ask Percy."  
"Ask Percy, what?" As if on cue, the elder Weasley arrived by their side.  
"What's Aveda Kedevra mean? I know it's a spell but what does it do?" his younger brother inquired.  
Percy paled considerably. "W-why do you want to know that?"  
"Just curious," Ron was a bit weirded out by his reaction. "What's gotten into you?"  
Percy leaned in closer, whispering shakily, "It's the killing curse."  
"The what?" Harry's brain was fuzzy.  
"The killing curse," Percy repeated. "It kills someone instantly. There's no way to stop it once the damage has been done. It's what," Percy faltered for a moment. "It's what killed your parents, Harry. Didn't you know that?"  
"No," Harry said in a small voice. "I didn't."  
Colin reached over to squeeze Harry's hand but the older boy jerked away from his touch. He wasn't too hurt by it. It was understandable.  
"I knew it was a bright green light," Harry seemed to be talking to himself more than anything by now. "But I never knew the name..."  
It was clear Percy hated to be the one to tell him. It appeared he wanted to go but still had one question in mind.  
"Why did you ask anyway? Where did you hear about it?"  
"Colin-" Ron started.  
"Heard some Slytherin's talking about it," Colin chimed in. Ron looked at him strangely while Percy glared over at the Slytherin table.  
"Don't listen to them," the prefect said distractedly. "I don't know what they think they know but I assure you the killing curse has nothing to do with any of this."  
"Okay," Colin faked a smile.  
"I better get back to my dinner before Fred and George poison it," Percy snorted, turning back and waltzing away.  
"I don't understand," Ron said. "Why didn't you want Percy to know?"  
"We haven't told anyone about the diary or Riddle. He might tell Dumbledore and he'll confiscate it," it was Harry who spoke up. "We can't risk that."  
"Oh, right," Ron thought it over.  
The rest of the meal was spent hardly eating and much talking. Lockhart made a spectacle of himself when he loudly declared he was keeping everyone who had been petrified in his thoughts. The girls awed at him, clapping obnoxiously and giggling. Colin was thankful that Luna was not one of those girls. She seemed to be the only one not captivated by Lockhart. For one, she was sitting and eating her dinner, not bothering to look up for Lockhart's announcement. It would seem she was disinterested but Colin knew that's just how Luna was.  
When mealtime was over, the professors escorted their respective houses back to their towers. On the way there, Colin, Harry and Ron spotted something that caught their attention. They strayed away from their group and hid behind the wall, peaking out to see. At the end of the long hallway was Hagrid. His hands were behind his back and his head hung dejectedly. Professor Dumbledore was there as well as two men that Colin didn't recognize. One was blonde that looked strikingly like Malfoy and the other was a man with grey hair. The second man didn't look to be the friendly type.  
From beside Harry and Colin, Ron growled softly. "I know who they are. That's Lucius Malfoy and Dad's boss, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"  
"Do you know why we're here, Hagrid?" Fudge asked in a clipped tone.  
"I...I.."  
"There's no need to sound so impertinent, Cornelius," Dumbledore interjected cheerily. "How about we go to my office to finish this? Have some lemon drops and tea?"  
"No thank you, Dumbledore," Fudge huffed in the same way Professor McGonagall would when offered one of Dumbledore's infamous lemon drops. "I have other business to attend to." His gaze on Hagrid turned into a scowl.  
"As do I," Malfoy said stiffly. "He knows why we're here. Just arrest him already."  
"I didn't do nothin'," Hagrid protested.  
Malfoy tutted quietly. "Didn't you say the same thing fifty years ago? On what account should we believe you now?" he smiled nastily.  
"I believe Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "He has my full confidence."  
Malfoy scoffed. "As always."  
Fudge looked between them all, uncomfortably. "Hagrid has a record against him. You know this. We're just taking him for a bit, Ministry's orders. If you happen to find the real culprit-"  
"Which you won't," Malfoy said smoothly.  
"Then we'll reconsider. It's a precaution, really. Just want to make sure everyone is safe."  
"The student's safety will be no different," Dumbledore's tone changed. He sounded a bit angry, almost, if you could it that. "Hagrid has done nothing. You cannot prove anything."  
"What is there to prove?" Malfoy was speaking politely but it was forced. "The man has a record, you cannot ignore that. Now, I'm only speaking as a concerned parent."  
Ron snorted, earning jabs to the gut from both Harry and Colin.  
"But I trust that when I send my son here for an education he'll be safe all the while. How can I rest soundly knowing there's a monster lurking?"  
"Draco is safe, Lucius," Dumbledore spoke up. "I have no reason to suspect that whatever this is will go after a pure-blood."  
Unfortunately, this was the perfect bait that the elder Malfoy seemed to be looking for. "Tell me, did you also have no reason to suspect a half-blood would be attacked as well?" There was no response from Dumbledore so he continued. "Hagrid has a known hatred for Slytherin's, favoring those in other houses, particularly Gryffindor. What's it to say he didn't intend for a Slytherin to be a victim but that Abbott girl got caught in the cross fire?"  
"Wait just a minute!" Hagrid roared.  
"Hagrid," Dumbledore said sharply. "Settle down."  
Fudge intervened, or tried to. "We should be going now," he said meekly.  
"Ter where?' Hagrid demanded. "Where yah taking me?"  
"Why, Azkaban of course," Malfoy smirked. "Our students will be safe once you're away."  
Hagrid spluttered. "Why...I never..."  
"It's for the interest of the students," Fudge blurted out. "Just come with us and don't make a scene. It will make things easier."  
"No," Hagrid backed away to the nearest wall. "I won't. Yah can't make me."  
Fudge looked like he didn't know what to do.  
"As for Dumbledore," the elder Malfoy pulled out a large parchment out of his robe pocket, enjoying the scene in front of him. "This is an order od suspension. We feel it is best that you step down. There's been far too many attacks on our students. It was decided the school needs someone who will be a little more-helpful."   
"Suspension?" Fudge apparently didn't know about this. "Lucius, we talked about this. I never agreed-"  
"It's not your job to agree on this, Minister," Malfoy said coldly. "It was the governors. And if Dumbledore refuses, I dear say there will be consequences."  
There was a period od silence. It was broken by Dumbledore.  
"That won't be necessary, Lucius. If I am to step down then I will do just that."  
Lucius crossed his arms in satisfaction. Hagrid and Fudge couldn't believe what they just heard. Hagrid loudly protested against the order while Fudge wisely kept his mouth shut.  
Dumbledore held up a hand to silence Hagrid. "Let be known, Lucius, that I will not truly have left this school until there are none left who are loyal to me. Help will always be given at Hogwarts who ask for it."  
"Admirable statements," Malfoy said idly. "We'll all miss your eccentric way of running things. Hopefully your successor will have more luck in preventing any more petrifactions.." He led Dumbledore away.  
"Come now, Hagrid," Fudge uttered awkwardly, uncomfortable that it was only the two of them. "It's time."  
"I'm comin, I'm comin'," Hagrid looked on the verge of tears. "But if anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, they just hafta follow the spiders. That'd led em right." With that, he followed Fudge where Dumbledore and Malfoy had gone.  
"Wow," Colin breathed.  
"What do we do now?" Ron looked between Colin and Harry.  
"You heard Hagrid," Harry looked determined. "We've got to follow the spiders."


	22. Chapter 22

Without Hermione, Colin promoted himself to be the logical one in the group. Ron tried to step up, which was good, but he tended to slack off after a while. And as for Harry, when he had a goal in mind (proving Hagrid's innocence, for example), he didn't always think straight (or at all). So, Colin knew he had to be the Hermione as to make sure they didn't do anything stupid or rash.  
So that's how they found themselves outside of the library.  
Harry wanted to follow the spiders and get some answers. He was determined to save Hagrid, even if that meant going into the Forbidden Forest to see a dangerous creature. Ron, on the other hand, pointedly refused to come. His fear of spiders really showed when the redhead paled considerably, and a rather stubborn expression appeared on his face, indicating the battle would not be won easily. He stated several times that he wasn't going, his voice had raised octaves each time he spoke.  
They bickered, each trying to convince the other that they were right. Harry was becoming madder that Ron just wasn't getting it. Hagrid was more important than spiders! He whirled around, demanding an answer from Colin on what they should do; directly placing the first year in the middle, which was exactly where he did not want to be,  
Colin had tried to say his opinion didn't matter but it did to Ron and Harry. Personally, he he felt it was not best to follow the spiders tonight, not because of Ron's fear, but because he felt they needed more information before they interrogated- that's what Hermione would do. And so, he elected that option.  
Ron was very relieved to hear his answer and he actually hugged him. To say Colin was shocked was an understatement. Harry was a bit sulky but Colin placated him by saying they would go eventually (Ron gulped) but now they needed to research. He also said more info would help them in the long run.  
So, the three boys stealthily snuck around the castle, careful to avoid any professors or Filch or Peeves. Speaking of Peeves, they'd almost run into him, had it not been for Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, who told the poltergeist that he was needed in some classroom for a meeting.  
After finally making it, the boys were dismayed to see that it was locked, well, Colin and Harry were more than Ron.  
"Well, guess we better go back to the common room," Ron said cheerfully. "Who's' up for chess?"  
He made to leave but Harry grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "We're going to follow the spiders, don't leave."  
"No way!" Ron yelped. "I'm not going out there."  
"We're not going anywhere," Colin cut their arguing off. "We're researching."  
"Col," Harry let go of Ron and came closer to his brother. "The doors locked."  
"Are you a wizard or not?" Colin said with disbelief written across his face. "We can use Alohomora."  
"I wouldn't," came Ron's voice in a hushed whisper. "I heard the doors are charmed to record any spell used on them. There's no way we can open the doors."  
Colin's shoulders slumped in disappointment. Now what would they do? Harry and Ron waited for the younger boy to say something. Whilst thinking, a grin appeared on Colin's face. "Unless..." he took out his wand and murmured something the two other boys couldn't decipher from reading his lips. A small, thin hairpin came rushing into his hand.  
"A bobby pin," Harry said in realization. "But what are you going to do with that?"  
"Pick the lock," Colin said simply. "Seen it many times in muggle films."  
Ron stood shell shocked, not saying a word or looking like he'd heard their talking. "You used the summoning charm," he breathed. "That's not taught till fourth year." Harry's lips parted as he took in his friend's words.  
Colin's cheeks reddened from their stares. "Hermione showed me how," he mumbled. "Found it in a book and wanted to try it. I'm pretty good at charms."  
"Wow," Ron looked at him like he was a legend. Harry grinned, impressed.  
"Can we just focus on the lock?" Colin was beginning to get flustered. He wasn't used to this sort of attention. Without another word, he turned back to the door and began to recite the scene in his head from memory. This way, that way, o the right, no it's left. He wasn't sure if this would work on a magical door knob, but it was worth a try.  
The two older boys waited somewhat impatiently. Ron squirmed, loudly scuffing his shoes on the polished floor; the result was a squeak that echoed down the corridor like a sound from a bird.  
"Ron!" Harry and Colin hissed.  
"Sorry," the redhead sheepishly apologized, rubbing the back of his neck.  
"What were you thinking?" Harry whispered furiously. "We'll get caught and-" his talk was cut short when the sound of McGonagall and Snape came to their ears.  
"Hurry!" Harry urged the younger boy. "Can't you go any faster?" he was frantic.  
"I'm trying," Colin kept picking and moving the pin around. Come on, come on. He kept this up until he heard a familiar clicking sound. "Gotcha!" The three boys piled in the deserted and dark library, effectively hiding from the two strict professors.  
Breathing heavily, they watched Snape and McGonagall as they passed, unintentionally hearing their conversation.  
"You're awfully quiet tonight, Minerva," Snape said in his silky voice. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"  
McGonagall made a noise between a huff and a growl. "Honestly Severus. Hagrid's been taken to Azkaban and you act as if everything is alright. I know you don't like him but you could at least pretend to!"  
"I pretend for no one, especially in consideration that Hagrid is guilty for the peterifcations of four students."  
McGonagall snorted, which startled the boys, having never heard her do so before. Colin grinned. He knew McGonagall was his favorite professor for a reason.  
"As if you care, Severus. None of your precious snakes were harmed."  
"I never stated that I cared. I'm simply saying that Hagrid has gone too far this time."  
This time?" McGonagall's voice was laced with suspicion. "Whatever do you mean?"  
"You went to school with Hagrid, correct?" Snape asked. Colin reckoned they stopped to discuss, for their voices sounded close.  
"I was seven years after he started. When I arrived, he was the game keeper," she replied stiffly.  
"Surely you must have heard what he did to become expelled," Snape's tone had taken a nasty turn.  
"I did, and I believed none of it just as I believe none it now," she said sharply. There was a shuffling noise. "You will do well to keep your opinions about Hagrid to yourself Severus." With that, they carried on walking. Neither said another word. Colin imagined Snape was sulking after that verbal beat down from McGonagall.  
Colin wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead off. He glanced at Harry who was hopeful that not everyone believed Hagrid was responsible. He squeezed Harry's hand comfortingly. The older boy squeezed it back.  
"So what do we do now?" Ron asked from beside them, his voice was still in whisper mode. He gestured to the many, many shelves of books in front of them. "Do we just read them all?" the tone of his voice stated to them that he would rather be doing anything else but that.  
"You don't have to whisper, you know," Harry said dryly at normal volume. "And don't ask me, Col's the brain of this operation."  
Colin shyly motioned for Harry and Ron to follow him to the back of the library. Ron stumbled a few times, being that it was pitch black inside. Harry rolled his eyes and muttered, "Lemos," and the tip of his wand became a bright light.  
"Good idea," Colin noted. "I didn't think of that."  
"Clearly," Harry teased, nudging his shoulder. Colin mock scowled, turning to resume the walk. They landed in the restricted section for the second time that school year. 'So what are we looking for?" Harry glanced around. "Anything specific?"  
"Anything you can find magical spiders," Colin wasted no time in looking around. Shelf by shelf, he flipped through each book, looking for key words or a table of contents. He expected to find something, anything but it seemed such a book was incredibly rare. He'd gone through the first two shelves when Harry called out, "I found one!"  
The book was thick and very large. It reminded them of something Hermione would read for what she claimed was, "Light reading." It was dusty, indicating that it had not been touched for a long time. The dust was so thick, Harry had to rub it off as to read the title.  
"Monsters and Beasts: the first edition," Colin read out loud. "How many creatures could there be?"  
"Plenty," Ron shuddered.  
Harry opened it up; the first page he came across was of a very large creature that was reptile-like. It had scaly greenish-grey skin with fangs and claws. "Chupacabra," he read aloud.  
Colin was momentarily distracted by their finding to focus on their mission. "It is real," he whispered to himself, awestruct. "I've seen it on the telly," he told the other boys. "Mum and dad said it was fake but I always thought it was real."  
"Of course it's real," Ron shivered. "You don't ever want to find yourself alone with that. No one's ever gotten out alive."  
Harry interrupted their talk. "Shouldn't we get back to looking for the magical spiders?"  
"Right," Colin flipped the pages, occasionally admiring the creature that caught his eye. "Here it is!" A picture of a large spider was on the page, making Ron freak out.  
"What's it say?" Harry asked eagerly. They crammed near each other. Colin sat on the chair while Ron and Harry were at his sides looking over his shoulder. Colin read aloud again.  
"It says here that the only known magical spider is an acromantula, which was first spotted in 1794, is a species of giant spiders which are native to dense jungles and forests. Acromantula's have eight black eyes, white if they're blind, and are covered in thick, black hair. These spiders have a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet long."  
Ron let out a shrill squeak. "F-f-fifteen feet?"  
"That's actually really cool," Colin said but shrunk under the redhead's glare.  
"Cool?" he spluttered. "Cool?!"  
"Continue," Harry said desperately before his friend went on a rant.  
"These spiders have a taste to humor flesh. Their fangs have such a potent venom that it kills its victim in less than five minutes," Colin flipped the page.  
"Does it say anything useful?" Harry sighed, dropping into the seat beside him. "Like what it's afraid of."  
"Uhh," Colin read the page quickly, looking for key words or clues. "Ah! Here it is. It says here that acromantula's deathly fear the basilisk."  
"What's a basilisk?" Ron seemed to have gotten over his little freak out for now.  
The page said more information on the baslist could be found on the next chapter so Colin flipped through a couple more pages but was bemused to see that the pages containing the information had been ripped out. "What?" he looked up from the book. "I don't understand. Where're the pages?"  
Harry snatched the book. "Someone didn't want someone else to see something," he commented.  
"But see what?" Colin threw his hands up in exasperation. Harry was right-none of this was making any sense. So far, the only viable information was a description on how the spider's looked and a little bit on its venom. None of this was enough research to move forward with.  
"Forget about that," Harry waved a hand dismissively. "Probably doesn't matter. Does it say anything else?"  
Dismayed, Colin shook his head no. "Well, we should probably head back to the tower before McGonagall notices we're gone," Harry suggested. The three boys put the book back and made their way to the corridore. Colin's mind was still on the ripped pages. How can Harry be so nonchalant about it? It could mean something!   
The first year had a sudden epiphany, crazy as it might be. Whoever had ripped out the pages must be connected to everything! He was about to voice his thoughts to Harry and Ron as they rounded a corner when something caught his eye. He froze.  
It was Ginny.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ginny," he quietly gasped. What was she doing out? More importantly, why was she out? The students were required to stay in their towers for safety reasons. He didn't exactly have room to talk but still, Ginny's behavior concerned him.  
"Ron! Harry!" he hissed at the two boys ahead of him.  
"What?" they turned around.  
"Look! It's Ginny!"  
Indeed, across the corridor, creeping around carefully was Ginny. Strangely, she was dressed in her school uniform despite it being a Saturday. She looked paranoid, observing her surroundings constantly. Colin thought she reminded him of those insane muggles that were often sent to insane asylums. Of course, he didn't voice this; not if he wanted to avoid a swift punch from Ron.  
"What's she doing?" Ron demanded.  
"I dunno," Harry frowned. "It's nearly curfew. Shouldn't she be in bed or something?"  
"Shouldn't we?' Colin said with humor. His brother snorted but otherwise didn't comment.  
"I'll get her," Ron made to move but was held back by both boys. "Hey! What gives?"  
"Don't," Harry urged. "We can follow her.  
"Follow her?" Ron glared. "You're talking like she's a criminal or something!"  
"Not at all," Harry said patiently. "I just mean because maybe we'll find out why she's been acting so strange lately."  
This seemed to calm the raging redhead down. "Okay," he agreed. "I suppose we can do that."  
Colin had never tried to follow someone on purpose. His classmates in the primary school he attended called him Colin Creepy because he was so unnaturally quiet he could sneak up on someone without making any noise.  
The same could not be said for Harry or Ron.  
"Guys be quiet!" Colin's heart stopped when Ginny whirled around. As a last resort, he cupped both boy's mouths with his hand. Harry didn't fight it but Ron, caught off guard, made muffled noises. When she turned back around to continue walking, he pulled away.  
"What did you do that for?" the redhead gasped.  
"To keep us quiet," Harry answered. "Do wizards not do that?"  
"No. If you want quiet someone you use the silencing charm. I've heard Percy talk about it."  
Colin tuned out their chatter as he navigated through the castle in an effort to keep up with Ginny. Oh, how he wished Harry had brought his invisibility cloak with him!  
"Where do you think she's going?" Ron asked in a hushed whisper. "I think we're lost."  
"We're not lost," Harry seemed to know where they were, sort of.  
" Quick!" Coins heart rate quickened. "She's turning around again."  
"Oh bloody-" Ron was shushed again, this time by Harry's hand.  
Ginny turned around sharply. Colin expected this time would be it; she would see them. But she did not. She kept moving. The only problem was it became increasingly harder to see her. As they went further down the corridor, the light seemed to be going out. Colin cursed quietly.  
"Well this is helpful," Ron said when the light was completely gone. "What do we do now?"  
Before Colon or Harry could answer, Ginny's voice rang out.  
"I'm here," she said to no one in particular. It was a bit chilling, she sounded like a robot, Colin thought. So emotionless. So bland.  
No one replied to her, none that the boys could hear, anyway. Yet she took it as a cue, a command or such and opened a door that made Colin's jaw drop. He knew exactly where they were now.  
Just outside of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.  
"It must have been the back way," Harry whispered. "How did we not know this?"  
Colin didn't answer. His eyes were fixated on the door that closed behind her. What was she doing in Myrtle's bathroom? Why was she there?  
"Well, I'm not just going to stand here while you two think," Ron pushed past them. "I'm going in."  
"No!" Harry hissed, grabbing him by the end of his sleeve. "You can't!"  
"Why not?" the redhead asked incredulously. "She's my sister and she's acting weird. I want to know why."  
"Not yet," Colin pleaded. "Can't you just wait a bit until we figure it out? If you confront her, she might get mad again."  
Ron was hesitant for obvious reasons. Colin couldn't blame him. If this was Dennis instead of Ginny, he would be protective and hesitant too. It came with a territory, being an older sibling did.  
"Okay," he said at last.  
"Brilliant," Harry said. "So what do we do now?"  
"How about we listen by the door?" Colin suggested. "I saw it a muggle can hear the person really well."  
"I," Harry chuckled, ruffling his hair, "think you've been watching too many films." Colin couldn't' hold back a grin.  
"Mum says the same thing," he said in a teasing tone. "You two are a lot alike. If you didn't look so different I'd say you were her first born." He saw Harry laugh again and it made Colin's chest feel all warm inside. He always felt good when he helped boost his brother's mood.  
"Just get against the door, prat," Harry gently pushed him with a grin on his face.  
Colin pressed his ear against the cold door, winching a bit. At first, he could hear nothing but shuffling of feet that were presumably Ginny's and something hard that was being pushed, letting out a squeak on the tiled floor.  
"I don't hear anything," Ron said loudly. Colin was about to tell him to be quiet but, as if he could read his mind, Harry did it for him. The younger boy had a trace of a smile on his lips. He swore that Dennis and Harry were more alike than it appears sometimes. Both had the talent of being able to just look at him and figure out his thoughts or future responses. Colin felt awfully lucky to have such amazing brothers.  
Harry suddenly whacked Colin on the back, knocking the wind out of the first year. "Did you hear that?" he moved to his shoulder, tapping obnoxiously. "Listen!" he was excited.  
Ron stared at his best friend weirdly but did as his raven haired friend instructed. He, too, heard it.  
Colin, winching from the stinging that lingered on his back, listened in. Ginny was now talking, but to who? He wondered.  
"I'm sorry," she wailed, startling the boys. "I didn't mean to lose it. I got it back."  
"Got what back?" Ron whispered to Harry. "What's she talking about?" Harry merely shrugged but Colin had a good hunch as to what she was referring to.  
" I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I won't do it again." For a moment, it sounded like she was talking in her normal voice again.  
"This is creepy," Ron stated. Harry and Colin had to agree.  
"No," suddenly, Ginny's voice rose an octave. "No! I am loyal to you! Please!" she was cut off and was silent for a moment,  
"She's mental," Ron was gobsmacked. "She is mental, right?" he looked toward his friends for their opinions.  
Harry, obviously not wanting to say anything negative about his best friend's sister, scratched the side of his head. "Erm, I suppose..?"  
Colin didn't respond. He was back to listening to Ginny speak again. This time, she sounded more frantic, more terrified.  
"No!" she screamed. "I won't do it! You can't make me!"  
Ron nearly barged through the door right then and there, but he was held back. Colin kept trying to urge the redhead to calm down but that didn't help matters. Whatever was going on with his little sister was bad; really bad.  
"Ron," Harry panted sucking in a deep breath, "we'll figure this out if you just-" he never got the chance to finish his sentence. Ginny screamed, and a loud crash was heard.  
"GINNY!" Ron shoved the two boys away and rushed inside the bathroom. Colin and Harry followed him. 'Oh, merlin! Merlin, we need help!" Ginny laid on the floor unconscious with a nasty cut on her forehead that was quickly turning blue. Colin suspected she had hit her head against the sink during the fall.  
"What happened to her?"  
The boys looked up. Moaning Myrtle came floating out of her favorite toilet, shell shocked at the scene in front of her, which was something, considering her attitude Colin and the trio had come across on a few occasions. "What did you do to her?"  
"Nothing," they pledged their innocence. "We found her like this."  
"Hmm," there was a distrustful tone to her voice.  
Ron, not thinking before he spoke, burst out, "Shouldn't you know what happened? You're always here!"  
Myrtle pursed her transparent lips. "I was out."  
"Out?" the body echoed.  
"Yes out," she raised her head haughtily. "Not that it's any of your business."  
"Never mind that," Harry quickly dropped to his knees, gently pulling the young girl in his arms. "We've got to get her to Madam Pomfrey." Ron assisted his friend by taking hold of his sister's other arm while Colin held her by the waist. Together they lifted her up.  
"Oh Harry," Myrtle sighed dreamily. "You're so strong." She winked at him, giggling and fluffing up her hair.  
Colin tried to smother his giggles, but they soon overflowed and erupted into full-blown laughter. Ron wasn't doing much better. Harry stared at them flatly, not amused in the least.  
"I think Myrtle has a crush on you," Ron whispered, subtly jerking his head in the direction of the ghost who was trying to make sheep's eyes at him. It was rather foolish looking.  
"Sod off," Harry grunted as they maneuvered out the door.  
"You will come back, won't you, Harry?" Myrtle called out.  
Harry was so focused on getting Ginny out of there he barely heard her call to him. "What? Oh. Uh, sure, Myrtle."  
"I'll be expecting you," Myrtle said flirtily, slowly backing down into her toilet again.  
By the time they made it back out into the corridor again, Ron and Colin were in silent laughter. If the situation hadn't been so appealing and there was no fear of getting caught, Harry would have smacked them both.  
"I don't know why you're so sour, Harry," Ron managed to keep a straight face; a feat that impressed Colin. "You should feel lucky to be admired by so many."  
"Ghosts are important too," Colin added with a smirk.  
If looks could kill, they both would've been dead twice.  
"I hate you both," Harry grumbled, glaring at the pair, whom adapted looks of innocence.  
It seemed like an eternity to the hospital wing. Ginny's body felt heavy now that it was lump. Ron and Harry had no problems as they were around, or near, in Harry's case, height for their age. Colin, being the smallest, struggled. His arms ached as he continued to hold her waist; but he didn't complain. With each intake of air, he concentrated on each step, trying to take his mind off the fact that all he wanted to do was sit down.  
"I want to know what she was doing in there," Ron muttered. "Can't be good. Did you hear her? 'I am loyal to you.' Who was she bloody talking to?"  
"She sounds possessed," Colin commented, chewing on his lower lip. This was not what the redhead wanted to hear.  
"Possessed?" his voice was a bit shrill. Harry winched at the noise. "By who?"  
Colin was glad he couldn't see Ron's face from where he was standing. Surely it wasn't pleasant. "It was just an observation, that's all. I don't mean she actually is."  
Harry, always the peacemaker, stepped in. "Maybe she's just tired," he offered. "People act strange when they're tired."  
"When was the last time you talked to nobody when you were tired?" Ron scoffed.  
"I don't think that's it, Harry," Colin frowned. "She sounded scared, like someone might kill her." Ron paled.  
"I bet it was Malfoy," he declared stubbornly. "He did all this."  
"Did what?" Harry asked carefully choosing his words.  
"Scaring Ginny, of course," Ron spoke as if he were speaking to a child. "It's obvious."  
"I don't understand what Malfoy has to do with this," Colin tilted his head.  
Ron rolled his eyes. "He just does. He's mad that you haven't gotten petrified yet so he's going after Ginny. He obviously wants to scare her into going home. He hates us Weasleys, remember? But I've got it all worked out," the redhead smiled triumphantly.  
Harry and Colin glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond to this news. Colin didn't quite know what Harry was thinking, but he definitely didn't believe this. For one, this didn't look like the work of Malfoy. Secondly, someone seemed to be talking to Ginny in her head so no one else would hear it. How would Malfoy manage that?  
"It's not Malfoy," Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't know who's doing this but it's definitely not Malfoy."  
"How do you know?" Ron huffed.  
"I just know," Harry replied. "Why are so intent on blaming Malfoy for everything? First being the heir and now this!"  
"Because I know he's involved somehow!" Ron persisted. "You can't tell me he's innocent! This is Malfoy we're talking about!"  
Harry was severely annoyed but kept his cool. "You can't blame him for everything, Ron."  
"But-"  
"He hasn't done anything wrong this time so drop it."  
Ron sulked and gave Harry a dirty look.  
Colin was extremely thankful when the hospital wing came into view. "Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!" he gasped. "You've got to help us!"  
"Yes, yes. What did you need Mr. Cree-oh my!" the aging mediwitch had come out to see what the commotion was and promptly bolted into action the moment she noticed the boys holding up Ginny. "What happened?' she demanded to know. "And why are you all out at this time? You're supposed to be in your tower." Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand to levitate Ginny onto a vacant bed. As she began assessing her, she repeated her earlier questions.  
The three boys squirmed under her stern gaze. Right now, it was so fierce it could rival Professor McGonagall's.  
"We found her like this," Harry finally answered, pointedly avoiding her eyes.  
"You found her?" the matron repeated.  
"Yes," Harry kept his eyes on the floor.  
"And pray, tell, why were you three out and about? Surely you heard Professor Dumbledore tell you it wasn't safe to be roaming."  
"We did hear, ma'am," Colin spoke this time. "We were looking for Ginny, you see. Ron was going mad with worry when she didn't come back. So we thought we'd go search for her." Ron nodded, agreeing with his lie.  
"It's true," he said. "I thought she was petrified or something."  
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, staring down at them. "That may be," she said. "But you've broken the rules in the process You could've gotten petrified yourselves! What good would that have done? Besides, Miss Weasley is just fine."  
"Really?" Ron said with great relief. "Fantastic."  
The mediwatch continued. "She just needs a bit of rest, poor dear. She must be overwhelmed by everything. Hasn't eaten much lately and hasn't been resting like she should. I can't give her anymore dreamless sleep potion, but I'll make sure she sleeps properly."  
Madam Pomfrey obviously was unaware of Ginny's rebellious behavior streak, Colin thought. But he didn't correct her on it. There was no need to worsen Ginny's reputation than it already was.  
"Well," Harry grabbed Colin's wrist, pulling him along. "We'll just be going then."  
"I don't think so, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey stopped them. "You, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Creevey aren't going anywhere. You'll stay here while I go get Professors Snape and McGonagall." She swept out of the room, leaving the boys alone, dreading what was to come.  
"Maybe we should've just brought her back to the tower," Ron crossed his arms, pouting childishly. "Now we're done for it."  
"Don't be so dramatic," Harry shook his head. "I'm sure McGonagall will understand."  
Colin wasn't so sure. He wasn't overly anxious about getting trouble, Harry had loosened him up a bit, but he could only imagine what his mum would say. Did they inform parents of what happened like at muggle schools? Would he have to write to his parents? His mum would have a fit that he got in trouble his first year there. She might even ground him from his camera. He paled slightly at the thought.  
In the midst of this, his gaze fell on Hermione's bed. She was laying the same way she was when he first saw her. His heart ached momentarily. They just had to get to the bottom of this. For Hermione.  
"Why should I not be surprised that it is you three." Professor McGonagall's voice startled him. He turned around to see her lips in a thin line, indicating that her patience was wearing thin. Snape, with his lip curled in disgust, sneered at them. Colin was sure a long detention was in store for them.  
"Professor, we-"  
"Save it, Potter," Professor McGonagall cut him off. "I am not in the mood for excuses."  
This was definitely bad, Colin realized.  
Snape chose that moment to open his mouth. "Are you finally seeing Potter for what he is? A spoilt, arrogant brat like his father?"  
"Severus, please," Professor McGonagall said sharply. Addressing the boys, she said severely, "Do you have any idea how dangerous it was to be roaming around the castle at night?"  
he boys didn't answer, knowing she was far from over. "Of all the idiotic, brainless ideas, that's what you do! You deliberately disobeyed us."  
"We had to!" Harry was insistent to speak. "We saw Ginny in the corridor when we were coming back to the tower. So, we followed her and-"  
"Hang on," Madam Pomfrey gave them a calculated look. "I thought you said you went searching for Miss Weasley because she didn't come back to the tower after dinner?"  
Harry's eyes were wide, and he adopted a deer in the headlight look. Colin's stomach dropped. They were caught now.  
"Well, well, well," Snape said softly. "It seems Mr. Potter was lying."  
"Is that true?" Professor McGonagall demanded, her foot tapping impatiently. Madam Pomfrey was equally as angered that they dared lie to her. "Boys!" her tone was reaching its breaking point when they failed to answer. "Is this true?"  
"Yes," Harry confessed. Snape looked like Christmas had come early. "But we had a reason to!"  
"I don't care what your reasoning was," Professor McGonagall looked gravely disappointed. "You disobey a direct order and lied about it. You will have to be punished for this."  
"I suggest we start with Potter's Quidditch position," Snape sent a nasty smile toward them. "He should be removed immediately."  
"There's no need for that, Severus," Professor McGonagall dismissed the thought. The boys were relieved. "But," their celebration stopped short, "I do have other ideas."  
"Oh great," Ron moaned. "We're really in trouble now."  
Professor McGonagall stared incredulously. "Did you think you were going to get off scot free?"  
"Well, no, but-"  
"No buts, Mr. Weasley," she interrupted him. "I have decided that twenty points apiece is fair as well as a month's detention with Professor Lockhart," she was nonplussed to their shocked and upset reactions.  
"A whole month?" Ron whined.  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, a whole month. You will be doing whatever he says. If any of us or any other professor catches you pulling such a stunt again and lie about it, the consequences will be worse."  
The boys were feeling miserable about the punishment. Madam Pomfrey nodded her head firmly in agreement. Snape, however, wasn't particularly thrilled with the outcome.  
"That's it?" he said harshly. "After all that you take away a few measly points and a detention? Where's the punishment?"  
"I do believe they're being punished enough, Severus."  
"I don't," he bit back. "Once again you're lenient toward your Gryffindors."  
Her eyes sparkled with anger. "Lenient?"  
"Yes lenient," he sneered.  
Colin, Harry and Ron watched the argument with interest. It wasn't a secret that McGonagall and Snape didn't share the same views but to see them bicker was wildly interesting for some reason. It wasn't until Madam Pomfrey nudged them, instructing that they go back to their dormitories quickly did they finally move.  
Trudging past the mediwatch and the two professors, the boys slowly made their way out of the hospital wing. Colin gave one last look at Hermione's bed before departing. Once they were out, Ron began quietly grumbling the unfairness at once.  
"Can you believe that?" he exclaimed. "Sixty points! Gryffindor will hate us for sure."  
"We did kind of deserve it," Colin pointed out. "We snuck out and lied."  
"He's right," Harry said. "We could've gotten in more trouble. Good thing Snape didn't catch us."  
Colin shuddered. That would've been horrible.  
Scowling, Ron said, "The git would've taken a hundred points each and give us detention for the rest of the year. Lockhart's an idiot but he's better than the greasy git."  
Harry was about to agree when he froze. Colin saw him stop abruptly, "Harry?" he immediately came to his aid. "Are you alright?"  
Ron stopped ranting long enough to turn back around to his friend. "Mate? What's wrong? Is he okay?"  
"I don't know," Colin gently touched his brother's shoulder. "Harry?"  
"I hear it," Harry breathed. "I hear it again."  
"What?" Colin and Ron asked simultaneously.  
"The voice! Come to me, let me rip, let me kill. It sounds so close..."  
"We need to tell McGonagall," Colin said in a no-nonsense tone. He was feeling genuinely worried for his brother and the voices he was hearing that, annoyingly, he could not hear. Maybe it was nothing but Colin wasn't about to take that chance.  
"But it's nothing," Harry said persistently. "It's not hurting me. It's probably normal."  
"It's definitely not normal," Ron was a bit pale.  
"See!" Colin did the only sensible thing: he turned back in the direction of the hospital wing. "I'm going to tell her myself if you won't do it."  
"No!" Harry grabbed the younger boy's arm, pleading with him. "C'mon, Col. It's probably nothing. I don't want to worry her."  
"But you're worrying me," Colin's anxiety showed on his face for a brief moment. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Harry."  
Harry lowered his eyes. "I know."  
"And neither does Ron or Hermione or anyone else for that matter."  
"I know," Harry repeated.  
"Then why won't you tell anyone?"  
Colin hoped this would change his mind. As much as he didn't want to go against Harry's wishes, he would if he felt it was needed. He would thank him in the long run.  
"I just can't," his raven haired friend said finally. Colin's stomach dropped. "I-I just can't, okay?"  
"Harry, mate," Ron had been quiet for the most part but decided to speak up. Colin was grateful for that. "Colin's right, you do need to tell someone."  
"They won't believe me," Harry stubbornly crossed his arms. "Would you believe me if I told you?"  
"Of course," there was genuine hurt on the redhead's face by his question. "You're my best mate. Why wouldn't I believe you?"  
Harry shrugged halfway, a bit embarrassed.  
"Even if they won't believe you, tell someone else. Keep telling people until they do," Colin told him. He bumped his shoulder lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't think many people will doubt the Boy-Who-Lived."  
It worked. A tiny smile graced Harry's features. "You're probably right," he with a snort.  
"So, will you tell someone?" Ron asked hopefully.  
"I'll tell McGonagall at breakfast," Harry said to them. They whooped, only to be shushed by awakened portraits.  
"Fantastic!" Colin exclaimed in a whisper. "Now let's go to bed, I'm knackered."  
Harry slung an around his brother's shoulder and the three boys descended up the staircase to their tower. If he was still hearing the voices, he didn't show it.  
No one was in the common room, everyone had hampered off to bed. The boys bid each other goodnight and after some hugs between Harry and Colin, they laid snuggled in their beds, falling into a deep sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a dream an normally this would be in italics, like it is on ffnet, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to do it on here so I'm sorry about that.

Colin's heartbeat was faster than it ever had been. Unlike every other time, he wasn't in the same place. This place was bigger yet darker so he couldn't see where he was. It didn't smell pleasant either. A chill came through the air and he shivered just as he always did. He bit his lip. Just where he was he?   
"Hello Colin Creevey."   
Riddle stepped out of the shadows with a menacing grin. Coin couldn't see him in detail-it was still too dark-but his his voice and silhouette was unforgettable.   
"What do you want?" Colin called out worryingly. "I haven't done anything to you!"   
Riddle took a step forward, his shoes clicked on the floor each time. With a dark chuckle, he said, "You are much smarter than I originally assumed." Colin wasn't' sure if he was complimenting him or not. "I really thought you would've been petrified by now."   
"Do you know who it is?" he blurted out. "Do you know who's doing it?"   
Riddle took another step, to which Colin took a step back. The first year's heart was still pounding. "I suppose I have to hand it to you," he said, ignoring his question. "Not many can safely do so, but I suppose having Harry Potter as a friend is very beneficial," he said the last word in a hiss that was like nails on a chalkboard.   
"You didn't answer my question," Colin said loudly, with more bravery than he felt.   
Riddle was silent, so silent, Colin thought he was gone. But alas, the older boy's shoes clicked as he came closer until his hands gripped Colin's shirt. "You dare speak to me that way?" his breath was hot on his face. Colin was frozen with fright. "Answer me!" Riddle screamed, shaking the boy senseless.   
"I-I'm sorry!" Colin yelled back. Riddle dropped him to the ground. The younger boy groaned in pain. Riddle's shoes clicked again but they weren't coming in his direction anymore.   
"Hagrid is off to Azkaban, I hear," Riddle said abruptly. Colin's head shot up. "Now that he's gone the school will be safe once more."   
"How did you know that?" Colin asked suspiciously. "I never mentioned that to you."   
Despite the overwhelming darkness, Colin could see Riddle's raised wand. "We will meet in person soon, Colin Creevey," he said softly.   
Colin stood up, bracing himself against a wall. "No," he begged. "Please don't-"   
"Avada Kedavra."


	25. Chapter 25

"You're not going to back out, are you?" Colin pestered Harry the next morning. The boys had woken up bright and early, intending heading down the Great Hall with intentions for Harry to inform McGonagall of the voice he'd been hearing. Colin was still plagued by nightmares involving Riddle. He figured it was only a coincidence. He probably only scared himself after the night when they saw the memory. It didn't mean anything.  
"No," Harry reassured him. "I said I'd do it, didn't I?" He was unconsciously fingering his jumper, Colin noticed.  
They arrived in the hall, looking around for Professor McGonagall but were dismayed to find her nowhere in sight. The students were loud chattering whilst they ate. The three boys stood in the middle of the asle, glancing. Professor McGonagall typically would've been eating her bearfast by now or, if she finished early, making rounds around the castle to make sure no one was up to no good (i.e the Weasley twins).  
"Have you not noticed you are holding up the aisle?" Professor Snape snarked, coming up beside them, his robes billowing. "Do you believe you are of more importance, Mr. Potter? That you can do what you want because you are a celebrity?"  
"No sir," Harry said with gritted teeth. He forced himself to be calm. "Sir, we were wondering if you knew where Professor McGonagall was?"  
Snape's black eyes lingered on them, narrowed with suspicion. "Professor McGonagall is traveling on important business."  
"Does it have anything to do with Dumbledore's suspension?" Colin asked in a hushed whisper.  
Snape looked furious with his question. "I suppose you weren't just roaming the castle, you were spying on a conversation that certainly doesn't concern you," he leaned in closer, sneering.  
"It does, doesn't it!" Ron said bravely speaking to the irate man.  
"Thirty points from Gryffindor," Snape snarled. "And if you dare eavesdrop once more, you'll be getting a far harsher punishment than Professor McGonagall could ever give." He began walking away but Harry jogged up to him.  
"Sir, wait! Please!"  
The angry man compiled reluctantly. "What is it, Mr. Potter? Come to gloat some more about your adventures last night?"  
"No sir," Harry said. "I actually need to tell you something. I was going to tell Professor McGonagall but since she's not here, I suppose-"  
"You suppose that I could be the one to hear your sob story? What, was your pillow not fluffed up enough? Did the other children make fun of you?" Harry tried to cut him off, but the potions master wasn't done.  
"Did someone tell you the truth about your father? I don't want to hear it, Potter. That will be twenty points for wasting my time," Snape turned sharply in the other direction.  
"What a jerk," Ron scowled.  
"Yeah," Colin made a face. He hated it when anyone insulted his brother, especially Snape. The man just seemed to have it out for Harry and he mentioned Harry's father many times; perhaps he held a grudge against him for something. It would certainly make sense, not that it excused anything, of course. Colin's protective instincts came from being a big brother to Dennis. Even though he was a year younger than Harry, he still felt the same way.  
"I wonder what Dumbledore's suspensions got to do with McGonagall traveling," Harry wondered thoughtfully.  
"Maybe she's trying to bring him back," Ron said enthusiastically. "She's probably at the Ministry right now trying to change their minds and showing them how wrong Malfoy was about him. We'll get him back soon. No one could say no to McGonagall." Colin thought humorously of a tough looking Ministry official cowering from McGonagall's stern look she frequently gave her students.  
"You really think so?" Harry said skeptically.  
"Of course!" Ron said with confidence. "Dad works at the Ministry. I could owl him and ask." He sat down and grabbed some food, hungrily devouring it. His friends joined him, Colin sat across from Harry who was next to Ron. The first year didn't feel so hungry, so he nibbled on a drey piece of toast, washing it down with juice.  
Suddenly, Ron nudged Harry so hard he almost lost his breath. "What was that for?" the raven haired boy wheezed.  
"Luna's coming." A blush crept Colin's face when both boys grinned, wiggling their eyebrows. Honestly, the nerve of them! He couldn't wait until they had crushes and he could tease them.  
"Good morning," came her dreamy voice that reached his ears and instantly soothed him.  
"Morning Luna," Ron and Harry responded.  
"Good morning," Colin patted the spot next to him. "Would you sit down?"  
"Oh yes!" she beamed, sitting down a little closer than he'd expected. Her body was touching his and he felt that warmth again from it; not an uncomfortable warmth, but that warmth that made him calm. "I'm sorry about Hagrid, Harry," she said sympathetically. "I'm sure he'll get released soon."  
Harry didn't know how to respond. "How did you know?"  
"Draco is gloating to his friends that he was the one to get Hagrid locked up. I know he's lying. He always lies."  
"Does anyone else know?" Harry was noticeably saddened at being reminded that Hagrid was in Azkaban and there was nothing they could do about it."  
"Some," she revealed. "But that's not important. Your true friends will discern the truth." Colin smiled at her wise words while Harry didn't seem comforted by her statement.  
"But I don't have that many true friends," he said, blushing when Colin and Ron looked offended. "Besides you guys and Hermione."  
"And the twins," Colin added.  
"And Hagrid," Ron said in a 'duh' tone.  
"And Dennis."  
"And Seamus."  
"And my parents."  
'And Neville."  
"And Dean."  
"And-"  
"Okay," grinning, Harry laughed. "Okay, I guess I have more friends than I thought."  
"See," Colin pointed out, "you can't say you don't have true friends. We'd do anything for you, Harry."  
"Right," Ron said firmly. "I almost died for you and Hermione last year, twice. That's gotta mean something." Harry looked puzzled.  
"Twice?"  
"Once by the chess match and my mum," Ron shuddered, recalling that day. "She was so mad for me losing so much points. She even sent a howler to Charlie."  
Colin, out of the corner of his eye, saw Luna's big eyes staring at him. He began to feel self conscious. "Do I have something in my hair?" he reached for his head but found nothing there.  
"Oh, no," Luna said cheerfully. "I was just trying to make the Lollymungs go away. They were swarming around you. Their stings hurt." Harry elbowed Ron before he could utter a word.  
"Well thank you," Colin was pretty sure those Lolly Lungs or whatever they were, didn't exist but he wasn't about to inform Luna that. "I'll make sure to do the same for you."  
Luna beamed, making him smile too.  
"Merlin, Colin. Do you even sleep anymore? You've got bags under your eyes," Ron pointed to his face.  
Colin frowned. He didn't have a mirror so he picked up his plate and sure enough, in his reflection showed dark, ugly circles that made it look like he had a shiner.  
"You aren't sleeping well," Luna observed.  
"Not really," Colin muttered, thinking of his latest nightmare.  
"Why?" Harry asked. "Did you have any dreams again?" He was fussing over him again.  
"Yeah," Colin admitted. "They're scary, Harry. It's always Riddle. Is that some sort of sign?"  
"It could be," Luna said calmly, spreading jam on her toast. "Did he say anything to you?"  
"He said we'd be meeting soon," Colin watched as Harry's eyes hardened. "Does that mean anything?"  
"He probably want to kill you," Luna said it casually, like she was asking what was on the dinner menu. "Pass the pumpkin juice, will you?" Colin emotionlessly handed her the juice. This was worse than he thought. Harry looked torn between worry and fury that someone would dare touch his brother. Ron had stopped eating, his eyebrows quirked at Luna's statement.  
"But he's just a memory," he said. "A memory can't kill someone." Luna just smiled at him but didn't offer an elaboration. The redhead mumbled something. Colin caught the last word: mental. For some reason, he felt a surge of anger toward him. Luna was not mental. If anything, she was the smartest out of all of them. Thankfully, Luna hadn't heard, or, if she did, she made no indication.  
"Would you like to go nargle hunting with me?" she asked sweetly. "I'd love to have someone else. It's so lonely without Daddy."  
Colin was tempted to say yes. He and Luna hadn't spent much time together due to Hermione's petrification and him having to help Ron and Harry figure this mystery out. But then he rememebred that they still hadn't found the diary. "Er, sorry, Luna. I'm busy. We're busy," he corrected himself.  
"Why don't I help you?" she said.  
Colin looked at Harry, who shrugged. "Okay," the first year couldn't help but grin like a madman.  
"Say," Ron pointed toward the staff table. "What's Snape doing?" The potions master glided up to where Dumbledore would be sitting. The other professors whisper amongst themselves. Professor McGonagall was still nowhere in sight, but, thankfully, so was Lockhart.  
"It is my deepest regret to inform you," Snape's lip curled when his gaze swept over the Gryffindor table where Ron, Colin, Harry and Luna were seated. "That Professor Dumbledore has been suspended for the time being."  
Chaos broke out. The Slytherin table whooped and cheered while the other houses were torn in their reactions. Some sat in their seats with a stoic expression while others loudly exclaimed their opinions. Snape shushed them at once.  
"Quiet," he commanded and they obeyed. "Do not fret, the castle will continue to run smoothly as I will be appointed Deputy Headmaster until he returns or we find a replacement."  
Harry and Ron looked at each other horrified. Luna was indifferent. She ate her breakfast, ignoring what was around her. Colin wasn't sure how to feel; though he was sure the detention list would be quite high for a while.  
"Where's Professor McGonagall?" someone demanded. "Why isn't she stepping up to be Deputy Headmistress?"  
"That will be ten points for talking without permission," Snape said. The other professors looked at him in disapproval.  
"Severus, it was just a question," Professor Sprout said, shaking her head. "They have a right to know."  
"I don't believe children need to be knowing in affairs that don't pertain to them, Pomona," he sneered. Turning back to the staring students, he barked, "What are you waiting for? Breakfast is over! Move!"  
"What do you want to do today?" Colin asked, leaning against the table as to let fellow students by as they exited the Great Hall. "I particularly want to find the diary. It's got to be around here somewhere, don't you think?"  
"Yeah," Harry said. "Let's go. Sound good to you, Ron? Luna?"  
"Oh yes," Luna said, jumping up abruptly, nearing knocking over her cup.  
"Ron?" Harry repeated.  
"Er, no. I think I'm going to visit Ginny. I'm really worried about her. You guys go ahead. I'll catch up later," the redhead said. He filed out with the rest of the students.  
"I hope Ginny's okay," Luna said as they made their way out. "I wonder what happened to her."  
"Well," Colin started. "It was, uh, us who brought her to Madam Pomfrey." He launched into a reiteration last night's events, while omitting some parts (Myrtle's flirting with Harry). Just as always, she was not surprised in the least. "That makes sense," she said.  
"It does?" he asked, bewildered. Harry didn't look to have understood her either.  
"Yes," she said patiently. "There's a connection."  
"Between what?" Harry was growing a little impatient by her non-elaborating explanations. "I don't get it."  
"You will in time," she smiled. From that point on, neither Harry nor Colin could get her to say another word about the connection. She was certain they could figure it out themselves.  
They'd dwindled through a great deal of the castle that day, in search of a diary that seemed to have vanished out of thin air. They rummaged through empty classrooms, gone through almost all the corridors to see if it had been dropped somewhere, snuck outside to the courtyard to see if it was there. They even went back to the library. Madam Price had been furious to learn someone had been sneaking around inside and didn't bother to put the books back in their correct spot. Colin and Harry feigned ignorance, loudly, but not too loudly, wondering who had done it.  
Unfortunately, it was all done for nothing. The diary was gone, perhaps for good. Colin was sure it had to be somewhere in the castle, it just had to be! There was no way to be sure, though.  
Harry had somewhat given up on finding the diary. He was sure if it was really important they'd find it sometime or it would turn up. His brother didn't agree, however.  
"Harry, we've got to keep looking," Colin told him as they maneuvered down the hallway. Luna was still following them. Every so often she'd become distracted by something, usually her imaginary creatures, and Colin would stop walking to bring her back in front or beside him. He would not let her walk behind him. It was too dangerous. "I know it's here somewhere."  
"I dunno, Col," Harry shrugged. "If you want to look for it, fine. I don't think it's here. Someone might have destroyed it or something."  
"Don't think like that," Colin advised. "We'll find it soon."  
"Just like we'll help Hagrid, huh?" Harry said bitterly.  
Colin felt an ounce of regret. It had been his idea to wait so they could research. Perhaps it might not have been the wisests idea, but he was certain that trying to follow the spiders, as Hagrid said, could wait.  
"We'll help him Harry," Luna said sympathetically. "In time."  
Harry tore his eyes away from her. Colin wondered if he was crying, or close to it. "How much more do we have to wait?" Harry's voice was thick with emotion. "Hagrid doesn't deserve this...not after the way we treated him."  
"Hagrid will understand," Colin didn't know if his words were true, would Hagrid forgive them for interrogating him? Probably. Would he understand the reasoning? Maybe, maybe not. "He's Hagrid. He could never stay mad at us, Harry; especially you."  
"He's right," Luna took Harry's hands into her own, gripping them tightly, but not too tight. Colin found his eyes drawn to their paired hands. He felt strange, seeing them like that. "He was your first friends. First friends are special," she sent a dazzling smile toward Colin, letting go of Harry's hand in the process.  
Colin's strange feeling disappeared as soon as Luna's hands were free. Whatever that feeling was, he didn't like it. Oh well. He pushed it to the back of his mind. Still, he couldn't bring himself to smile back at his friend, it came out looking like a grimace insead.  
"Are you in pain?" Luna did something she never did before; she put both hands on the sides of Colin's head, whilst examining him. "Hmm," she observed. "You seem fine, but your head seems to be a little stuffy. Are you feeling sick?"  
"No," Colin's cheeks were on fire from feeling her delicate fingers graze his head and face. Harry abandoned his grumpy, sullen mood to snicker and make fun of him. "I'm fine, really, Luna."  
"If you're sure," Luna let go of him.  
"Oh, lay off!" Colin grumbled to Harry, who was in full blown laughter. "It wasn't that funny."  
"You're right," Harry calmed down before exploding again. "It was hilarious!" His laughter was definitely more than necessary, but Colin was relieved to see him smiling and happy than sad and upset.  
"And people call me Loony," Luna mused. Colin felt a pang in his heart at hearing that horrible nickname. Oh how he wanted to track down every last person who called her that and set them straight! "I'm only Loony if you think of it that way."  
"Stop," Colin said firmly. "Don't call yourself that." She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows.  
"It bothers you," she stated. "Why?"  
Colin paused. Why did it bother him? "Well, er, you're my friend and I...I don't like hearing my friends talk down about themselves."  
"Oh," she brightened up after hearing this. "That's awfully nice to say, Colin."  
"Yeah," he lightly slid his shoes over the cleaned floor. "I suppose so." He noticed Harry had stopped his laughing fit.  
"We should go find Ron," he said distractedly. "Maybe we'll-" he trailed off, falling to his knees, crying out in pain. "AHHH!"  
"Harry!" Colin was at his side within seconds. "Are you alright? What's happened?"  
"My-my scar," Harry's face twitches uncontrollably. "It hurts." He clawed at it, howling at times. Colin couldn't imagine how that felt.  
Poor Harry!   
"We've got to do something," he said to Luna frantically. "Got any ideas?" The pain had apparently gotten worse. Harry writhed on the floor in agony, kicking at the air. There was no one around, the hallway was completely deserted. Colin knew he didn't have time to fetch a professor, not if he wanted Harry to be alive. Not knowing what else to do, he took hold of Harry's arms, forcing them down. He motioned for Luna to do the same to his body.  
"Okay," she said, but instead of going to Harry, she approached Colin and tried to force his body down. The first year felt embarrassed yet again.  
"No, no, no," he said. "Not me. Harry."  
"Oh," she changed positions so that Harry was accessible. "He must be in a lot of pain," she remarked, reaching down to wipe away Harry's tears. Said boy didn't notice, he was still yelling and screaming in pain. How had the professors not heard? Colin was confused. Surely Harry was loud enough the whole castle could've heard him. But no one was coming around the corner to come to his aid like Colin expected. Nor was there any ghost floating, which was strange also.  
Where was everybody?


	26. Chapter 26

"We've got to do something," Colin said frantically to Luna. "We can't just leave him like this."  
It had been five minutes, maybe longer, and Harry was still in pain. His scar was bright red and painful looking. The twelve year old continued to howl and claw at it; simultaneously sobbing and thrashing on the floor like a child would during a temper tantrum. Colin didn't know how much longer he could take watching this.  
"But what do we do?" Luna's dreamy voice had simmered down. She wore a rare frown and he could tell she was quite concerned. "There's no one to help us."  
"Err," Colin looked around but that did nothing to help their cause. "We should...we could-"  
"Go find Madam Pomfrey," Luna urged him. "I'll stay with Harry."  
"What?" he looked at her like she was crazy. "No. It's too dangerous, you heard Professor Dumbledore."  
Luna stared back at him. "Go on. I'll be fine," the corners of her mouth lifted up in a smile at his worrying.  
"No! I-I can't."  
"You must."  
"I won't!"  
"Colin, please," she had to speak louder over Harry's wailing. "Look at him, he's in a lot of pain, We can't help him ourselves."  
Colin hated to admit she was right. "Alright," he said hesitantly, feeling his nerves racking. "But please promise me you'll be okay."  
"I promise!" she beamed.  
He sucked in a breath of air, exhaled then took off in a run. A couple of times he looked back to find her hunched over Harry's body. He swallowed, hoping that she indeed could keep her promise.  
It'll be okay, he told himself. I'll find Madam Pomfrey, she'll fix Harry, and everything will be alright.  
Strangely, the corridor was still deserted and eerily quiet. Not even Peeves was being his usual disturbance. Something must be wrong, he decided. But what? There was no sign of human life anywhere. Everyone must be in their towers again, perhaps. Or had they made a decision to redo the quidditch game? No, Colin shook his head. Snape wouldn't have done that.  
He passed by a group of ghosts that were huddled together, making them look like a mashed up pile of gray. One called out to him, "You shouldn't be out at a time like this."  
Colin halted to a stop, peering curiously at them. He'd never seen them looking so frightened before; their transparent faces actually made them seem alive. Had it not been for them being...well, transparent, of course. But before he could get a word in edgewise, the Fat Friar chimed in.  
"Heed his warning. You must leave now before it is too late! Go back to your family where it is safe!"  
"What are you talking about?' Colin blurted out. "Why isn't it safe here?" Well, he knew why it wasn't safe at Hogwarts but that wasn't new news. What on earth could scare them so bad that he needed to leave?"  
"It's happened again, I'm afraid," the Fat Friar said in great distress.  
"What's happened again?" Colin had a hunch as to what they were talking but hoped with all his being that it wasn't true.  
The Fat Friar wrung his hands, face scrunched up like he was ready to cry big, fat, silvery tears. The ghost who had gotten Colin's attention in the beginning had about enough with this.  
"Oh get it out will you!" he boomed. "Another one of the living has been petrified!"  
"No!" Colin gasped. "Oh tell me it isn't true.."  
"I wish it wasn't," another ghost, a woman this time, wept. "The poor boy, what did he do to deserve such a fate?"  
"A boy?" Colin's ears perked up. "What boy?"  
"He had red hair," the woman stopped crying long enough to say. "And freckles, lots of them."  
"Freckles and red hair?" Colin's stomach churned. No. It couldn't have been.. "I've got to go..." With that, he raced down the hall, bracing himself for what he was about to see.  
He wondered which Weasley it was; be it Percy, the twins, Ron or even Ginny if Madam Pomfrey declared her free to leave.  
Of course, he didn't want it to be any of them and hoped the ghost was mistaken. There were loads of students at Hogwarts, more so than just the Weasleys that had red hair. Yes, that had to be it. It was obviously someone else. Still, it didn't make the canyon in his gut go away.  
Near the entrance to the hospital wing was Mr. Filch. The caretaker was mopping a puddle with a deep scowl. He was still sore about Mrs. Norris and, as impossible as it seemed, he became even worse in regard to his mood and ill temperament toward the students.  
Gliding past Filch he wandered inside and sighed dejectedly when he caught sight of Madam Pomfrey hovering over Ron's bedside. The redhead was laying just as Hermione was, like a statue with that same horrorstruct expression everyone else had. His hands were up like he was defending himself, his eyes were big; his mouth was opened as if he were screaming. Next to Madam Pomfrey was Professor Snape. Neither seemed to have noticed Colin's presence just yet. He could hear them communicating softly.  
"A puddle you say?" Professor Snape said.  
"Yes. I found Mr. Weasley just outside, laying in that puddle. Oh Severus, what will we do?" Madam Pomfrey pulled a blanket over Ron's body up to his chest. "We'll have to close the school. That's six already. How many more can we handle before," she paused, her eyes lingering on Ron with sadness in them, "before we have another student killed like Miss Warren."  
Colin thought long and hard. Warren must be the name of the girl that died fifty years ago. But who was she?  
Snape's lip curled. "As long as one of these dunderheads find comfort in a bathroom I do believe we will be fine."  
Madam Pomfrey scoffed. "You are so callous, Severus. Poor Myrtle didn't have anyone to go to."  
Colin refrained from letting out a gasp. Killed. Bathroom. Myrtle. The girl that was killed fifty years ago was moaning Myrtle! In his shock, he stumbled back against the wall, which created a loud thud. This alerted Snape and Madam Pomfrey that someone was there.  
"Why, Mr. Creevey!" Madam Pomfrey said in alarm. "Whatever is the matter?" She was clearly anxious that he'd overheard their conversation, which he did. "Is everything alright?"  
"Yes, I-I mean no," Colin stuttered.  
"Well? Spit it out you idiotic boy!" Snape snarled.  
"Severus!" Madam Pomfrey admonished him. "The poor boy is frightened. Tell me what's wrong, Mr. Creevey."  
"Harry'sinpainandIdon'tknowwhy," Colin said in one big breath. "He's on the floor in the corridor crying. Please, can you help him?"  
Colin ran back to the site where Harry was with Madam Pomfrey and a disgruntled Snape at his heels. She'd instructed one of the house elves to watch over everyone in the hospital wing while she was away. Colin dropped to his knees, holding onto Harry's hand. Thankfully Luna was okay as promised. She was at Harry's other side, across from him. She was caressing Harry's hair, murmuring comforting words. He was no longer thrashing in pain but was still crying. The scar was still ugly looking as it was earlier.  
"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey demanded to know. "Why is Mr. Potter on the floor crying?"  
"We don't know what happened," Colin started to explain. "We were walking, and he just started screaming. He said his scar hurt and he fell to the floor. It sorta looks like it's infected, don't you think Madam Pomfrey?" He didn't have much medical knowledge, but he did have enough to know it didn't look good; the kind his mother often told him to avoid.  
Madam Pomfrey looked deathly pale. "It's happening Severus," her voice trembled.  
"What's happening?' Colin asked at once. Luna stopped what she was doing to glance at the matron.  
"It's just as Dumbledore said," Madam Pomfrey lifted up Harry's head, bringing a vial up to his lips.  
"What's that?" Harry groaned. Colin was relieved to hear something come out of his mouth besides screaming, even if his voice was cracking and dhorse.  
"Take this," she said gently. "It's a calming drought. Snape's expression throughout all of this remained nonplussed, even despite Madam Pomfrey's visible distress.  
Harry gulped it down in one drink, grimincing at its taste. Colin still felt jittery from the whole ordeal and considered asking for one of those for himself. "Are you okay, Harry?" he asked. "How do you feel?"  
The Boy-Who-Lived gingerly sat up with Madam Pomfrey's help. His eyes were still adjusting to the minimal lighting, having been closed for a bit. "Fine I guess," he croaked out.  
"You'll need to come with me, Mr. Potter," the matron said briskly. "I'll have to observe you for a while." This did not go well with Snape.  
"What? What about his punishment?" the potions master demanded. "He and Mr. Creevey are to have detention with Lockhart starting this evening."  
Madam Pomfrey shot him a dirty look. "Really, Severus? The boy is in no shape for anything. I will see to it that he is well and perhaps he will attend detention later this week." She helped Harry to his feet and the two began walking back toward the hospital wing. This left Snape with Colin and Luna. The eccentric girl beamed at Snape, making him snarl.  
"Did you know you have many Lollymungs in your hair? It looks like a great big nest of them!"  
Colin snickered but that turned into a cough when the professor looked his way. "Something funny, Mr. Creevey?" Snape sneered in his typical fashion. He glared in such a way that clearly stated death would be upon him if he gave the littlest notation that the answer was yes.  
"No sir," Colin replied with perfect innocence. "Nothing at all."  
But Snape wasn't done. "I believe that will be ten points for disrespecting a professor and I will add another month to your punishment," he smirked nastily when Colin groaned.  
"But sir-"  
"Do you wish to add more?"  
"No," Colin muttered, feeling a bit humiliated that Luna was around to see him being reprimanded.  
"No what?"  
"No sir."  
The potions professor stomped away, muttering about insolent brats. Colin turned his attention on Luna, who was waving her arms, trying to catch some kind of magical creature he wasn't able to see. He suddenly remembered that Harry was going to the hospital wing and would see Ron in his petrified state; but whether he was in the right mind to understand what had happened was questionable.  
"Luna," he lowered his volume so Snape wouldn't overhear them. "I've got to tell you something. It's bad, really bad."  
The blonde girl paused mid catch, blinking. "Oh?"  
He closed the gap between them, strangely, he did not feel uncomfortable as he did earlier when she touched him. "I overheard some ghosts talking when I was on my way to get Madam Pomfrey and...oh Luna's it's awful, Ron's been petrified!"  
If he expected that she would react in some way, any way, he was sorely wrong. She remained calm, the complete opposite of him; her eyes did not crinkle nor did she frown again. There was no gasp of horror or even a widening of her eyes.  
"Harry will be a bit upset, don't you think? I would if my friends were petrified."  
He really should have seen this coming. Since he'd known her Luna wasn't the one to react. "Of course, he'll be upset," his tone was neutral, if not slightly incredulous. "I would. First Hermione now Ron. Makes you wonder who else could be next." As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, he mentally slapped himself. Now wasn't the time to be tactless. Luna didn't seem to mind, though.  
"Yes, that is true. I hope you will be careful."  
Colin didn't know how to take this sudden concern for his safety. On one hand, it warmed his heart to know that Luna cared so much for him she expressed this vocally.  
"Don't worry. I will."  
She smiled that one hundred watt smile that could light up a room. "Shall we go back to our towers? I expect that's where everyone is right now."  
Colin would've liked to take a walk with her but the events in the past hour were still running through his mind. The fact that Myrtle was the girl who died fifty years brightened him up. If he could just get Myrtle to explain to him what occurred when she was killed, then he could prove Hagrid's innocence and perhaps find out who was petrifying people now! But he didn't want to leave Luna alone and vulnerable. Him running by himself was risky enough but he absolutely refused to put her in any danger.  
"Er, sure," he would walk her to the Ravenclaw Tower but had no intentions of going to his own. When they arrived, he couldn't explain why, but he felt an explicit urge to hug her. He deduced it as stress from the draining day, which was not even halfway over, he might add.  
After that, he made a beeline for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She definitely had some explaining to do.  
HPHPHPHP  
Colin burst through the door of the bathroom; pointing his index finger at the lonely ghost perched on her favorite toilet. "You!"  
Myrtle screeched at being startled. She fell to the floor, falling through due to her transparent nature. She floated back up, glaring. Colin was sure if she was alive he would've seen steam come out of her ears.  
"What do you want Camera Boy?"  
Calming down a notch, Colin stepped forward. "I need to talk to you," he said in his kindest voice. "Please," he added for good measure.  
"I don't have to talk to you," she sneered in a way worthy of a Slytherin.  
"Please," he begged. "I won't talk to you ever again if you want. Just please answer my questions."  
Myrtle wasn't sure what to make of his behavior. "Why would you want to talk to me?" she sniffled. "I'm just stupid, weepy, pimply-"  
"I know it was you," Colin interrupted her monologue. "I know you were the girl that died fifty years ago."  
Myrtle's mood shifted and she became sulky. "Well, I never tried to hide it now did I?"  
"No," he agreed. "But why didn't you tell us? Surely you heard us talking about it."  
"You didn't ask," she said simply. He facepalmed.  
"Right... So anyway," he changed tactics. "Can you tell me what killed you? Was it Hagrid's acromantula?"  
"I don't know," Myrtle said with sorrow leaking into her voice. Her mood had changed and she was now drowning in self pity. "I just turned around and saw big, yellow eyes."  
"Big yellow eyes," Colin repeated to himself. "Big yellow eyes..."  
"They found me here, in this very bathroom. But did anybody care? Of course not. Who would care about little old me?"  
Colin drowned out her woes. His mind flipped back to last night when he, Ron and Harry broke into the library. The book on acromantula's had given him a brief description on their appearance.  
Acromantula's have eight black eyes, white if they're blind.   
That was it. It couldn't have been Hagrid or his pet acromantula, because the spiders didn't have yellow eyes! "Myrtle you're brilliant!" he jumped up, grinning in victory.  
The ghost didn't acknowledge his praise. But she did ask a question he had expected in the beginning. "Where is Harry and the other one?"  
"Ron's been petrified and Harry's in the hospital wing for, er, a headache," he lied through his teeth. The last thing he needed was to confide in Myrtle; she'd have Harry's secrets blurted out by lunch.  
"Oh, poor thing," she sighed, her hand covering her non beating heart. "He will come back to visit me when he's out, won't he?"  
"Oh sure," Colin knew the last time Harry was around Myrtle she creeped him out and would rather be in detention with Snape for the rest of his Hogwarts career than willingly stay in her company for longer than necessary. "He misses you already." He winced, knowing Harry would strangle him for that later.  
"Does he?" Myrtle looked exceptionally cheered up; it was a bit disturbing to see her like that instead of her usual gloom and doom demeanor.  
"Well, Myrtle, seems that I must be going," Colin excused himself. He needed to tell someone this incredible news. Maybe everything could be resolved before lunch!  
"So soon?" she slumped down, frowning. "But you just got here."  
"I'm sorry," he backed his way to the door. "I'll come back soon with Harry." He slipped out of the door, not sure what to think of her giggly, happy wails of joy.  
With a slight shake of his head, he jogged off in the direction of the Headmaster's office. He hoped McGonagall was back by now or would be by dinner. She would be more open to listen then Snape, seeing that she actually took a liking to Hagrid while Snape blatantly hated him. But Snape was better than nobody.  
When he reached his destination he realized he didn't know the password. "Dumbledore?" Nothing. "Wizard?" Still nothing. "Gum drops?" The gargoyle stepped aside, allowing him entrance. Colin inwardly smirked. Snape having a password such as gumdrops was all too amusing. Wishing that he not upset the newly self appointed headmaster, he washed the amusement from his face.  
"Professor?" Colin noticed right away Snape was in Dumbledore's chair and it did not suit him.  
"That's Headmaster, Mr. Creevey," Snape barked.  
"Sorry, sir," he insincerely apologized. Snape was still giving him a seething glare that prompted the boy to say, "sorry Headmaster." Before Snape could give any additional punishment for threats, Colin blurted out his findings.  
"Sir, it wasn't Hagrid! He was framed. Myrtle-the girl who died fifty years ago-said the monster had big, yellow eyes. But acromantula's don't have yellow eyes; they have black eyes, or white if they're blind."  
"Excuse me?" Snape's voice was dangerously low. Colin paid no attention, however.  
"Isn' this great? We have to tell someone so Hagrid can come back! This means Dumbledore won't be suspended anymore!" the overjoyed boy said happily.  
"And how do you know about Miss Warren and Hagrid?" Snape looked ready to kill.  
"Erm," Colin hadn't thought about this; about being caught eavesdropping twice.  
"Who told you about Hagrid?" Snape's eyes narrowed.  
"Um-"  
"Mr. Creevey, the truth."  
Colin's brain was on hyperdrive. He couldn't out their secret; that the reality was they they'd been listening in on a conversation that didn't concern them which led them to the library and then did they follow Ginny.  
"Mr. Creevey!"  
"Someone told us," he improvised a lie.  
Snape's face was contorted into something that normal people would call disbelief. "Someone told you?" he repeated, clearly not believing him.  
Colin swallowed. "Yes, sir."  
"Who told you?"  
"Who told us?" his mouth felt dry. "Um.." Snape looked like he was running out of patience, which Colin couldn't entirely blame him for. "An elf! It was an elf!"  
"An elf told you?" Snape's eyebrows were up to his hairline. "And why would an elf tell you three dunderheads anything?"  
Colin ignored the insult. "We asked him to, sir."  
Snape was silent for a long time. Colin bounced back and forth on his heels, wearing an awkward expression as he awaited a response. He could only hope he'd be taken seriously despite the obvious lie. Finally, the headmaster did the most infuriating thing: he dismissed him.  
"What?" Colin was dismayed. "You are going to tell someone, aren't you?"  
"I said leave, Mr. Creevey."  
"Sir," he instantly regretted telling Snape of all people. "Hagrid's being locked up for no reason, don't you want to help him?" Okay so he already knew the answer to that but it was worth a shot. "I'll leave when you tell someone so we can have Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid back." There was his Gryffindor bravery shining through. Harry would be so proud of him. Snape, on the other hand, was not.  
"Fifty points from Gryffindor!"  
Outch. They've already been taking a beating from Ginny's odd behavior and now Ron, Harry and Colin's punishment from last night. Gryffindor wasn't going to win the House Cup this year; that Colin was sure of.  
Deciding to change tactics, Colin asked, "Sir, what did Madam Pomfrey mean when she said it's happening?"  
That did it. Snape was furious that he even asked and, while taking more points off, shooed him away (read: bellowing). Colin found himself outside the office, with little to nothing accomplished. Well, he straightened up, if no one was going to do a nothing about this then he would. He just needed more evidence, that's all.  
Realizing that lunch was about to start, he headed down, along the way thinking about what they would do now. It was just him, Harry and Luna now.  
Hopefully they could solve this mystery before anyone else is petrified.  
Or dies.


	27. Chapter 27

Weeks had flown by since that fateful day in the corridor. Madam Pomfrey kept Harry in the hospital wing for four days under her watchful eye and a few doses of calming droughts and daily headache reliever potions to help alleviate the pain in his bright red scar. Under no circumstances did she disclose the exact cause of Harry's episode, claiming there was no root cause. But Colin knew better. He replayed her words, "It's happening Severus," several times in his mind, deciding that she indeed did know but also couldn't prove his suspicions.  
Due to the potions, Harry was drowsy and did not become aware of what had happened to Ron until the fourth day when he glanced over at Hermione only for a glob of redhead to catch his eye. After that, just like Percy, he began drowning in guilt, feeling entirely responsible no matter how many times Colin rebuffed the absurd idea. Additionally, Ron's petrification stirred up a frenzy not only with his family but with the school now that not one but two of Harry Potter's best friends were petrified. There was a rumor going around that Colin was next. But Colin wasn't worried, however; at least, not for himself. More so, he tended to have a nagging feeling that Luna was in more danger than he, something the blonde giggled at when he'd admitted his fears to her.  
Speaking of the Weasleys, the remaining were all in a state of disarray. Percy blamed himself for what happened, drowning in a state of guilt. Fred and George still played pranks with Lee but it was clear they didn't gain the same satisfaction from it as they did before. The girls, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia, were torn between protecting Harry and Colin while also wanting to comfort Fred and George. Colin reassured them that he and Harry were fine now that most of the rumors and talk died down. And as for Ginny, she was still in the same bad, horrid mood. It was as if what happened to Ron didn't affect her. Snape took great enjoyment in punishing her for the slightest infraction. Colin feared that she would get herself expelled if she didn't straighten up.  
In the midst of this, spring had arrived and the weather became less and less chilly. The flowers bloomed on the school grounds, leaving it in a much prettier state than its look for the winter. Being that Hagrid typically took care of the gardening and such, Mr Filch stepped in as a replacement, per Professor McGonagall.  
As for Colin, he couldn't be concerned with school work at the moment, even though his first exam was fastly approaching. He couldn't shake off Myrtle's words about what she had seen. They had to tell someone Hagrid was framed! But how? Nobody would just outright believe them; they needed proof, hard evidence.  
"How are we going to prove anything? All anyone is going to see is that we eavesdropped." Harry and Colin were up in the second year boys dorm during their free periods, whilst trying to form a plan. Colin laid on the floor with his hands behind his head, looking at Harry who was leaning with his back against his trunk.  
"What if we have Myrtle talk? What more would they need than the girl herself?" Colin offered.  
"I don't think a ghost counts," Harry wryly. Colin scowled.  
"Do you have a better idea?"  
"No," Harry sounded cross. "I thought we'd have something by now."  
"Sorry," Colin mumbled. "We'll figure something out, Harry."  
"You said that weeks ago! We haven't gotten anywhere, not even close to who might doing this."  
"I know. But we will, I promise," Colin affirmed with conviction. Harry acknowledged this, but didn't further comment. "Now, Myrtle said she looked into big, yellow eyes. Hagrid's acromantula wouldn't have yellow eyes so it couldn't be that."  
"Well, what has yellow eyes?" Harry stretched his arms. "Didn't that book tell you?"  
"No," Colin sighed gloomily. "If only we could find Aragog and talk to him. Now that would be evidence.."  
"Yeah," Harry muttered, crossing his arms. After a moment's reflection he shot up with round eyes. "Yeah! That's it."  
"What is?" Colin asked quizzically. He watched as Harry spouted off nonsense excitedly, rummaging through his trunk for his invisibility cloak that he lifted out and fanned out. "Harry! What is it?"  
Harry faced him with the largest grin Colin had ever seen on him since the day his mum said he could stay with them. "We'll find Aragog. We'll find him and get Myrtle too! She'll prove that it wasn't Aragog who killed her and they'll have to let Hagrid go! Brilliant isn't it?"  
"But how are we going to find him?" Colin hated to be the debbie downer but it was a valid question. "He could be anywhere."  
Harry thought for a second. "What if Hagrid's acromantula is in the Forbidden Forest?" he proposed. "What if it's been there the whole time after Hagrid got accused? The book said acromantula's are native to jungles and forests. It's entirely possible that Hagrid's acromantula ran to the forest to seek shelter."  
"Harry, you're a genius!" Colin exclaimed enthusiastically. "We can go tonight after detention and bring Luna as well." Harry nodded vigorously at his suggestion. "Harry, I think we might solve this after all," the first year grinned.  
HPHPHP  
After their stroke of brilliance, the boys decided to head down to Myrtle's bathroom in advance to convince her to go along with their plan. Luna was still in class so she would have to wait until dinner to be informed.  
Colin opened the door, immediately finding the ghost perched on the sink, sniffling woefully.  
"Hello Myrtle. Look who I've brought," he slid out of the way, as to allow her sight of Harry before she could shriek at them.  
"Harry!" Myrtle crowed happily. Her dreary disposition left, replaced with that creepy happiness Colin found a bit disturbing. "What did you need? Anything from me?" she fluttered her eyes unflatteringly.  
"Er, yes, actually," Harry confirmed. "Would you be willing to help us this evening?"  
Myrtle squealed girlishly. "Of course! Anything for you Harry."  
"Great," Harry was visibly awkward. "Colin and I want to prove Hagrid was framed and that it wasn't really his pet acromutela that killed you. We wanted to know if you would come with us tonight after dark. We're going into the Forbidden Forest; we think Aragog is in there."  
Myrtle didn't respond straight away. Colin was worried she would change her mind. After about two minutes, she spoke again. "Alright, but what's in it for me?" Both boys shared a glance. They hadn't thought she would want something in exchange.  
"Erm, what do you want?" Harry made the fatal mistake of asking.  
A sly grin made its way onto her face, causing Colin to have a feeling Harry would regret ever asking "I want a date with you, Harry."  
"What!?" Harry spluttered. "You want what?"  
"He'll do it," Colin accepted for him. "Just say when."  
"Since we missed Valentines Day, how about the last weekend of term," she beamed.  
"Sounds good," Colin said.  
"Col!" Harry said furiously. His brother smiled innocently. "Why did you do that?"  
"Because we need her, like you said," Coin shrugged. Turning his attention onto Myrtle again, he said, "See you tonight then. We'll come back after our detention with Lockhart."  
"Bye Harry," she giggled as they left. "I can't wait for our dateeee!"  
"You owe me," Harry glared at Colin while they headed back to class. "You owe big time."  
"Hey, who knows. You might like it," Colin laughed, taking off in a sprint after Harry started to chase him.  
HPHPHP  
Dinner was delicious as always. Colin and Harry tried to beckon Luna over to the Gryffindor table but were caught by Snape. As a result, they were given a lengthy lecture in front of their housemates and classmates about sitting at the correct table with their own house.  
Someone from the Ravenclaw table, a boy, perhaps in Harry's year, asked if the mandrakes were ready yet for those petrified. Alas, they were not. Snape had been so busy with his headmaster duties he hadn't had a chance to brew the potion just yet. This created an outcry from several, some claiming the professors were taking their time and others making remarks that Snape was delaying the potion on purpose because the majority of them were muggleborns. Subsequently, they were all given a deduction of fifty points with the threat of further punishment looming over their heads if anyone else dared to speak out.  
Colin and Harry were careful to lay low for the remainder of dinner, now that Snape was keeping a watchful eye on them. Subtly, Colin endeavored to grab Luna's attention by hissing her name; but her back was facing them, rendering his attempt in vain.  
"Dinner ends in ten minutes," Harry stressed. "How are we going to tell her?"  
"We'll tell her afterwards, before we head to detention, I suppose," Colin shrugged.  
"Tell who what?" Seamus slid down until he invaded Colin's personal space. Nosy as ever, their Irish friend looked to both boys for an answer.  
"Seamus, leave them alone," Dean, always the sensible one, scolded his friend. "It's none of our business."  
Neville hesitantly followed after Dean and Seamus, sitting down next to Harry, but not as close as Seamus had gotten with Colin. "I still can't believe what happened to Ron," the pudgy boy's voice quivered with fear. "Do you suppose it'll be one of us next?"  
"Calm down, Neville," Seamus tactlessly waved the idea off dismissively. "There's no reason to be scared. I'm not scared." Beside him, Dean snorted.  
"Please. I saw you run from the loo to your bed and put the blanket over your head."  
Seamus scowled.  
"You don't think it'll be one of us, do you, Harry?" Neville asked, biting down on his lower lip.  
Colin noticed the change in Harry's body language; in fact, he seemed to be the only one who did. "Well," Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair, messing it up that much more. "I didn't think it would ever happen to Ron or Hermione...I don't know. I can't really say."  
Neville moaned, pressing both hands to his cheeks. Seamus tried to play it off as being completely calm but utterly failed. Dean let out a quiet curse, facepalming his forehead.  
Feeling compelled to brighten up the mood, Colin spoke up. "It'll be okay."  
"How?" Seamus asked incredulously.  
"Because I'm sure whoever is doing this will be caught soon," Colin took a bite of his shepards pie, savoring its taste.  
"Whoever it is hasn't been caught yet," Seamus said bitterly. "How many more will be petrified before someone will do something!"  
"Shay," Dean nudged him after a few students turned their eyes on them. Seamus didn't have volume control. "Quit being so loud."  
"Seamus, you've got to be patient," Harry said quietly. "Dumbledore said-"  
"Dumbledore got suspended for not doing anything," Seamus reminded them. "Probably isn't coming either."  
"Shay, just be positive," Colin implored. "I'm sure if you-"  
"You're mad,you're all mad!" Seamus got up and went back to where he originally sat. Dean sent them an apologetic glance before he, too, returned with his friend. Neville had planned to stay, but Seamus' bark of "Neville!" caused him to hurry back.  
"Well that went well," Harry pushed his food around on his plate, not really eating. Colin wished he could offer some words of wisdom but being eleven he didn't have much experience. "Col?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Look." Colin turned but only found himself staring at the the two other house tables, still packed with students. "Where? I don't see anything."  
"There, to the right. It's Lockhart.," Harry pointed.  
"What's he trying to slip into into Professor Flitwick's cup?" Colin asked worriedly.  
"It looks like a potion," Harry observed with squinted eyes. "But I can't see the color. Can you see?"  
"No," Colin fretted. He tried focusing in but still couldn't see. "Harry, I don't think-Harry?" Harry speedily stood up and made a fast walk to the door. "Where are you going? What about Luna?" he said before the older boy could slip out. Luckily for them, Snape had his attention on something else to notice.  
"You tell her while I sneak into Lockhart's classroom," Harry instructed. "Go!"  
"Okay," Colin muttered.  
It was then that all the students were dismissed to their towers for the night. Colin maneuvered through the incoming crowd over to the Ravenclaw table. Luna was finishing the last of her meal without any rush.  
"Luna!" he slumped down beside her.  
"Hello Colin," she smiled at him gaily. "How was your day? We haven't seen much of each other today." Being that it was a Friday, she wore her uniform and pinned her hair up in a ponytail on the top of her head with a strand of loose hair on each side of her face. She didn't keep her hair up very often; preferring it to flow down her waist freely. Colin thought she looked very pretty either way  
"I know," he'd been a little dismayed that he'd only seen her at meal times due to their differing schedules. "But," he lowered his voice, "are you doing anything tonight? Say, after dark?"  
"No," she said simply.  
"Great. Would you like to help me, Harry and Myrtle? Myrtle is-" but Luna interrupted him.  
"I know who she is."  
"You do?" he couldn't keep the surprise off his face. "Have you met her?"  
"No. I hear her wailing when I pass by the bathroom on my walks. What a sad life she had. Bullying is awful, isn't it, Colin?"  
"Yes," he thought of Luna's own experiences with bullies. He wanted to ask how that was going but now was not the time to be deterred. "We want to prove Hagrid's innocent so we're going into the forest to find out if Aragog is there. Aragog was Hagrid's pet spider."  
"Hagrid has such a heart for creatures," Luna's smile was just so pretty Colin found it mesmerizing.  
'Yeah. Big, scary ones,' Colin thought.  
"So will you do it?" he inquired.  
"Of course," Luna replied. For some odd reason, Colin felt much too happy to learn of this. Grinning like an idiot he said, "Great. Meet us in Myrtle's bathroom. We'll discuss the plan then. Well, I've got to get to detention. See you later, Luna." And off he went, unable to keep the stupid grin off his face.  
HPHPHP  
Colin spirited down to Lockhart's classroom, only to find Harry digging through drawers like a madman. "Have you found anything yet?" he heard Harry's hit make contact with the desk, wincing when his brother rose up, clenching his head. "I'll take that as a no."  
"Don't do that," Harry groaned. "I haven't found anything, just Witch Weekly magazines and some of our old papers we've done. Whatever he tried giving Professor Flitwick, nothing about it is here."  
"Well he couldn't have brewed it himself," Colin mused. "Do you suppose Snape brewed it for him?"  
"No way," Harry automatically said. "Snape hates Lockhart. He doesn't want to be in the same room as him, let alone do him any favors."  
Colin closed the door behind him. "Well who else could it have been?"  
"I dunno," Harry shut the drawers and neatened up the desk that he'd messed up. "More importantly, I want to know what he gave Flitwick. It can't be good."  
"What if it's poison?" Colin squeaked. "Poor Professor Flitwick! Maybe Lockhart's trying to kill him so he can have his job!"  
Harry raised his eyebrows at the illogical speculation. "Why would he want his job? He's already a professor. I don't really see Lockhart as the charms loving type."  
Coin faltered. "I don't know..."  
Suddenly, the door burst open. Colin, forgetting his Gryffindor bravery for a moment, hid behind Harry for protection. "My, my, what seems to be the problem here?" the culprit turned out to be Lockhart, leaving Colin feeling embarrassed as he slowly came from around his brother.  
"Nothing," they answered in unison. Lockhart must not have noticed the tension in the room or perhaps he didn't care. The professor sat down in his chair, pushing a stack of papers to the side. "Well boys, I suggest you both get started; then after that I have cleaning for you to do. I gave Mr. Filch a break from my classroom until you two are through with your punishment."  
Colin sat down at one of the desks and began writing back to Gwendolen Sharp. Nearly all of the fan mail was written by females, with only a few exceptions written by admiring males desperate to learn his secret of how he conquered the beasts on all of his journeys. It was hard to believe that so many witches were gullible to the fact that Lockhart was portrayed as a hero when in reality he was a thin, of little muscle, and dimwitted man.  
The time passed by rather slowly. He and Harry indeed have to do the cleaning; with him polishing and Harry manually dusting. It was convenient that both he and Harry came from muggle backgrounds. He imagined how Ron must've felt cleaning the muggle way for the first time. When it finally came near for their detention to end, Colin anxiously tapped his foot repeatedly. Perhaps too repeatedly.  
"Mr. Creevey," there was something in Lockhart's tone he couldn't diciper. "Mind you stop making that incessant noise?"  
Colin caught Harry's grin out of the corner of his eye and struggled to contain his own mirth. "Of course, Professor."  
After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally time to go.  
"You know boys," Lockhart said as he stood to his feet. "I'm going to miss these detentions. I feel like I've gotten to know you both quite well."  
Colin suppressed a snort.  
"Would either of you like a signed book? Or perhaps just an autograph?" Lockhart grabbed a quill eagerly.  
"No thank you," Harry stated shortly as he walked out.  
Lockhart gazed at Colin with hope in his eyes. "Sorry," the first year scrambled out to catch up with his brother. Harry was a great deal ahead but he managed to catch up. "How many more detentions do we have with him?"  
"Enough," Harry responded. "But you've got another month, remember?"  
Colin groaned.  
"Fantastic," he lamented.  
"C'mon," Harry forced him to pick up his pace. "Let's go. I bet Luna's already there." They power walked, deliberately avoiding the route to their tower and hoped Snape or some other professor wouldn't find them.  
By the time they arrived, Harry had been right-Luna was there, sitting on the floor with her legs crossed Indian style. Myrtle, upon hearing their footsteps, came out from the darkness in the back of the bathroom.  
"Harry!" she said overjoyed, at the same time Luna said her own greetings.  
"Hello Myrtle, hello Luna," Harry made sure to acknowledge each girl. Colin did the same.  
"Hello Harry," Luna smiled. "I think what you're doing for Hagrid is wonderful."  
"Thank you, Luna," Harry said with sincerity.  
"Did you remember your invisibility cloak?" Colin asked, leaning lazily against the sink. Harry let out a curse. "I'll take that as a no," he said dryly.  
"I completely forgot," the older boy sighed. "I was so occupied with trying to figure out what Lockhart gave Professor Flitwick that I forgot to go and get it." Luna looked at him critically.  
"You saw that too." It wasn't a question, a statement, rather. "I thought I was the only one."  
"Did you see what it was?" Harry's tone conveyed his excitement.  
"Was it poison?" Colin chimed in.  
Myrtle's face pinched with irritation. Her head moved back and forth, watching them as if she was watching a tennis match. "What are you talking about?" she whined, feeling out of the loop.  
"Oh, sorry," Colin apologized. "Do you know who Professor Lockhart is?"  
Myrtle scoffed. "I know who he is. I hear the girls talk about him all the time; about how dreamy he is and how brave he is to stand up to those beasts."  
Colin inwardly smirked. Even Myrtle seemed to have a distaste for Lockhart. "We saw Lockhart slip something into Professor Flitwick's cup and we don't know what it was." Myrtle gasped dramatically.  
"I still think it was poison," he added stubbornly.  
"And again, I say: Why would Lockhart want Flitwick's job?" Harry said exasperatedly. Colin made a face at him.  
"I don't believe Lockhart is out for Professor Flitwick's job," Luna concluded calmly. "I believe he has ulterior motives."  
"Like what?" Colin queried. "What else could he possibly want?"  
"I'm not sure," she tapped her chin with her finger. "What would you want if you were a well known author with adoring fans and a teaching a job?"  
Harry and Colin glanced at each other. Myrtle huffed.  
"He sounds like a phony to me."  
For once, Myrtle's accusations were one the boys could agree on. "What makes you say that?" Colin questioned.  
"There's something about him that doesn't seem right," the ghost declared.  
"The truth will come out in the end," Luna said wisely. "Now, Harry, I believe we have a plan to carry out?"  
HPHPHP  
"It's so dark in here."  
"Don't tell me you're afraid," a teasing snort was heard.  
"No," a scowl etched itself on his face, not that anyone could see it. "Dennis is, not me."  
"How much longer is it?" the boy winced at her whining, having heard the same question four times already.  
"OW my foot!"  
"My apologies, Colin."  
"Oh, er, it's okay Luna."  
Harry sniggered at how soft his voice became so quickly. Colin shoved him but that did nothing to put an end to his amusement. The four of them had snuck out of the castle, descending down past Hagrid's hut and into the Forbidden Forest without being caught. Harry was leading them with Myrtle floating in the back. Colin and Luna were in the middle.  
"Colin's got a crush, Colin's got a crush," Harry sang under his breath. He didn't see the death glare he received nor the panicked glance sent in the blonde girl's direction and sigh of relief when it wa clear she didn't hear him.  
"Stop that," Colin sibilated in his ear. "Stop It!"  
"Oh, come on, Col. You know it's true."  
Colin moved up so he was side-by-side with Harry. Lowly, he said, "I've told you I don't fancy her."  
Harry hummed. "And you're sure about that?"  
"Yes!" Colin asserted.  
"Okay!" Colin could practically see the grin in Harry's voice. "I just have one question."  
The first year relaxed. "What is it?"  
"If you guys get married, who gets to be your best man? Me or Dennis?"  
Colin shoved him, causing the second year to laugh. Behind them the girls were chattering; or, perhaps more correctly noted, Luna was chattering.  
"Have you ever read the Quibbler? My Daddy is the editor."  
"No," Myrtle denied. "I haven't heard of it."  
"I suppose you can't pick anything up. I'll read it to you if you'd like," Luna offered friendly.  
Colin expected Myrtle to go on a tangent about being dead but she didn't. "I suppose," she relented with reluctance. It made him smile. If anyone could get past Myrtle's walls she'd put up it was Luna.  
"Harry," Colin gripped his arm. "Do you know where we're going?"  
"Uh," Harry breathed. "Not exactly. I was hoping we would find him by now." They weren't sure how long they'd been in the forest but it felt much longer than it probably had been.  
"Not much of a plan, huh?" Colin quirked an eyebrow.  
"Better than what you had," Harry sassed.  
"But I had nothing."  
"Exactly."  
"Boys, boys," came Luna's dreamy voice. "No need to argue. We'll find Aragog. I'm sure of it."  
"But what if we don't?" Myrtle sniffed. "For all you know we could be walking around these woods for nothing." A shuffling sound ceased any further babble that might've escaped her mouth. "What was that?" she whispered in fear.  
Something zipped right in front of Colin and Harry. Since it was so dark, they could only see a silhouette, and even that wasn't completely clear. Another thing passed by. Myrtle screamed.  
"Myrtle, be quiet!" Harry hissed. This sent the ghost into a tantrum. She wailed as if she were in agony.  
"Why did I ever think you would like me! I'm just weepy, old, stupid Myrtle."  
Colin's heartbeat quickened. Whatever was around, was watching them; he could feel it. Harry tried to comfort Myrtle, whilst shushing he but Colin doubted it would work. A strange hissing sound alerted him to the fact that whatever was in the shadows was definitely not human.  
"C'mon, this way" Colin gasped, pivoting to the left and taking off in a mad dash. He could hear faint footsteps behind him, gaining closer and closer without missing a beat. It was a bit nerve wracking, if he was honest. Colin made another left, then a right. He'd thought he could just out run whatever was behind him, that is, until breathing became irregular and his lungs begged for air. But what could he do? He didn't want to stop but he certainly didn't want to die from lack of oxygen.  
But, suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Whatever had been there was gone. Colin dug his heels in the ground as he came to a stop, panting and clenching his chest. He wasn't sure where he was; he could see nothing but outlines of trees. The noises of the night creatures as they came to life were heard; the owls in particular were quite noisy. A feeling of fear surged through Colin as he wondered where Harry, Luna and Myrtle had gone. He wanted to be brave, needed to, actually; but being in a dark forest late at night made his heart pound and goosebumps rise on his arms.  
He turned around, briefly abandoning the mission to go off on a search for his friends when his forehead hit something hard; Harry's chest. . Both boys screamed. Colin jumped so hard he fell to the ground. "Harry," he croaked, his voice hoarse from his screaming. "Are you alight? I heard footsteps and I ran. Did you find Aragog yet?"  
"No," Harry answered then added, "And those footsteps were me. I heard you running and followed you."  
Colin's heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm. "Oh, good. I thought something horrible was behind me."  
His relief didn't last long. Harry said in a newly panicked voice, "But Colin, we have a problem. I can't find Luna or Myrtle. They're gone."  
His stomach dropped at hearing Luna's name. "What do you mean they're gone? They were just with us."  
"I was going to have them follow you but when I called their names they didn't answer. I felt around for them and felt nothing. That's when I decided to follow you."  
"We have to find them," Colin declared, fear creeping in his voice. "We can't lose them. She's my best friend! I NEED her." The thought of Luna dying or missing was too much to handle. How would he ever explain to her dad that she was gone because of him?  
"Don't panic," Harry advised, even though he was doing the exact thing moments earlier. "We'll find them. Don't worry. I'm sure they're around here somewhere. Luna's probably looking for nargles." This did little to comfort Colin. He wouldn't be able to relax until he could see for himself that she was safe. "C'mon, let's go look. Maybe we'll find Aragog in the meantime."  
"No, forget Aragog. We have to find Luna," Colin babbled. He didn't even notice how he wasn't even mentioning Myrtle anymore. He felt his way through, hollering over his shoulder, "Come on, Harry!"  
He hoped she wasn't scared or hurt or in the clutches of some fearsome monster trying to eat her. He would never be able to forgive himself if she was hurt. He distantly heard Harry yell something at him but he didn't pay any attention to it. It wasn't until he felt Harry grab the back of his uniform did he finally face him.  
"Slow down, will you?" Harry implored. "I can't keep up."  
"Sorry," Colin muttered. "Say, why aren't you worried about Luna? She might need help."  
"And Myrtle."  
"What?"  
"You said Luna might need help, so might Myrtle."  
Colin felt his face heat brain scrambled to remember what he had said. "I-I said Myrtle too." At least, he thought he did.  
"No, you didn't," Harry corrected. "You said Luna."  
"Let's keep going," Colin deliberately changed the subject, feeling flustered by Harry's observations. "Maybe if we go this way-AH!" he tumbled down a hill, rolling by the end. He landed in an open area, disoriented and in pain from the tree roots and rocks that he had encountered on his way down. Moaning, his head lifted up just in time to see Harry jogging down the hill. The older boy lost his balance halfway down, rolling the same way Colin had. His body hit the first year with full force, knocking him down just as h'd tried to sit up.  
"Harry," Colin grumbled, wincing in pain that came from his back. Surely he'd pulled something.  
"Sorry," Harry also winced, breathing sharply at the terrible stinging in his head. At his poor attempt at bringing himself back to his feet, he teetered.  
"Are you alright?" Colin asked from his spot on the ground, rubbing his back gently.  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Harry retorted. He dug in his pocket, pulled out his wand and muttered an incarnation that Colin couldn't hear The tip of his wand lit up which gave them a better advantage to navigate through the forest.  
"I'd forgotten about this," Harry said then gave his brother a strange look. "I remember learning this first year. Why didn't you think of this?"  
Colin huffed. "Do you know how many spells I've learned this year? I can't keep track of all of them."  
"Wonder why Luna didn't remember," Harry thought aloud.  
"Probably wanted us to think of it for ourselves." Colin had a slight smile on his face but it quickly vanished before Harry could see it.  
"Yeah," unbeknownst to him, Harry had seen. A slight smirk reached his lips as he said, "I'm sure that's what it was."  
Behind them, a strange noise, one that Colin had heard earlier, occurred again. It sounded like ruffling at first then turned to hissing. The first year instinctively leaned in closer to Harry, feeling fearful as to what it could be. Harry, feeling protective of Colin, contemplated on rushing at whatever was in the bushes (a true Gryffindor thing to do). But he didn't get the chance to, for, slowly like a predator hunting for its prey, a multitude of giant spiders came creeping out of the shadows, hissing hungrily at the boys trapped in the middle as they surrounded them in a circle.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's been a while since I've last updated, school has kept me busy. Also, no this fic isn't completed I really don't know why it says it is but it isn't. I plan on going through each book. Anyway, happy reading!

Well into the sky, the moon shoned, illuminating the sky with a soft light just bright enough not to be enveloped in complete darkness; unlike those who unluckily find themselves in the forest, that is. The owls hooted, the wolves howled, and centaurs rested. A fog filled in, misty and thick, it was. Colin's breath hitched at the sight of all the ugly, hairy, beasts. Their beady eyes watched him and Harry closely. It was just like one of those moments from the scary movies their dad let him and Dennis watch without their mother's prior knowledge. The creatures looked out from the shadows; hissing and clicking amongst themselves in a kind of harmony, a symphony that, if circumstances were different, would've actually sounded soothing. Though even the danger of being killed or eaten did nothing to Colin as it should have; his fears weren't on his own safety, rather, Luna's. She and Myrtle were still missing and while Myrtle had every advantage of the situation, being that she was a ghost, Luna did not. Luna may have been smart but she was also naive which worried Colin into thinking she would land herself in something worse than they were already in.  
HPHPHP  
Luna skipped through the forest with Myrtle trailing behind her hesitant. They'd gotten split up from the boys a few miles back and were unable to relocate them, not that she minded. Myrtle, however, was naturally upset with the arrangements; she'd waited and sobbed in her usual weepy way. Now they'd come to a fork in the road-the same one they had seen twice already.  
"I think we're lost," Luna mused, frowning.  
"We're what!?" Myrtle exclaimed, though it sounded more like a whine. "We can't be lost," she began hyperventilating in a ghostly way, being that she wasn't actually breathing. "How will I have my date with Harry now?" she fretted, tugging at her hair.  
"We'll get back," Luna promised her airily. "The Bee Horn's will tell us."  
"The what?" Myrtle stared at her strangely, not that she could see. Luna turned on her heel to the right and ambled on. The ghost griminced wearily, but nevertheless, followed her  
HPHPHP  
The spiders advanced closer, promoting both boys to huddle together for safety. Colin tried to recall one of his dad's survival techniques he'd told him and Dennis in case they were lost somewhere. Only, his dad never accounted for blood-thirsty giant spiders that could rip them to shreds. Feeling brave, Colin lifted his wand ever so slightly, shining the light on the spider's face. It reared back, screeching from the light. They were just as the book had described them-only more terrifying in real life.  
"Who dares to disturb my resting place?" the voice was raspy, hoarse. Whoever it was needed a cough drop for sure. Its eyes rounded on Colin, narrowing to slits. Colin shivered at the intensity of his glare. This was someone, er something, you definitely didn't want to cross. "Is this the child?"  
"There's two of them," another one replied, jerking its head down. "What should we do with them? They smell of men."  
"Kill them," the first one snarled to their shock, clicking furiously. "They will pay for daring to enter our resting place to kill!"  
Harry was the first one to find his voice, albeit weakly. "No, no. We didn't want to kill you! We wanted to ask some questions."  
This bit of information piqued the spider's interest. "Go on," he allowed, speaking in a low, dangerous tone.  
Swallowing thickly, Harry continued on carefully. One wrong move and it could be the end of them. "You see-sir- we're friends of Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid. Do you know him?"  
A brief moment of silence ensued before the other spiders assumed he'd angered their leder. One nearly tore Harry's arm off until the first spider bellowed, "Silence!" and it all stopped. "I know Rubeus Hagrid. He was my friend, he cared for me when no one else did."  
This was definitely Aragog, Colin realized. A feeling of excitement bubbled in his chest and he knew Harry felt the same. "Do you happen to know who did it? Who killed Myrtle-the girl from fifty years ago?"  
Aragog stiffened. "To what is the reason for asking?"  
When it became apparent they weren't going to be eaten after the second spider crawled back to join the others in the shadows, Colin felt calm enough to speak. "We needed to speak with you, sir. Horrible things are happening at Hogwarts. People are being petrified!"  
His last sentence sent the creatures into hysteria; they clicked and screeched non stop. Colin and Harry covered their ears, scrunching their eyes shut to block out the unbearable noise. It was only by another boom from Aragog did they stop completely.  
"Did I, err, say something wrong?" Colin asked timidly. His Gryffindor courage dissipated a bit by the 'glares' if you could call them that, from the spiders.  
"My people react strongly in regards to petrification," Aragog said. "Long ago, I was framed for the murder of a girl in the girl's bathroom. I never went near that girl. Hagrid tried to protect me when they sought to kill me but even he, despite his large stature was no match. I was discovered one night and ran away without saying goodbye. It was here that I met Synagog and created my colony." At this, the spiders launched into some sort of cheer, though it sounded like more clicking to Colin.  
"Do you know who did it?" Harry spoke up.  
"Of course I know. All the spiders know."  
"Well who was it?" Colin asked eagerly.  
"We do not speak of it," Aragog told him firmly.  
"But-"  
"I said no!" Aragog roared, causing Colin to become completely silent. "Under no circumstances do we spiders utter the name! A name worse than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! The spiders fear the yellow eyes of the such creature. It's hideous face is a constant threat."  
What does that mean? 'It's face is a constant threat'? Colin frowned at the crypticness.  
"Please," Harry pleaded. "You've got to help us. Hagrid is gone! He was sent to Azkaban by Lucius Malfoy. They think he's the cause for the petrifications."  
"I'm afraid I cannot help you," Aragog said plainly.  
"Can you at least give us a hint or something? We need everyone to know it's not Hagrid!"  
"That will be very hard if you will not live to see the outside," Aragog licked his lips hungrily. Colin's stomach churned with dread. They were going to be eaten.  
"Please, please don't!" Colin shot out. "We're friends of Hagrid, remember? Your friend!" Aragog moved very slowly, in a creepy sort of way. It definitely reminded him of a movie him, Dennis and their dad had seen. Beside him. Harry swallowed thickly, understandably trembling from fear.  
"What'll we do now?" he whispered.  
HPHPHP  
"Can we be done yet?" Myrtle whined. "We've been in this forest for hours!" In actuality, it had only been two, almost two and a half. Luna's navigational turn landed them deeper into the forest, though there was still no sign of Harry and Colin or Aragog. Myrtle considered giving up but Luna disagreed. They still had to find the boys.  
"After we find Colin and Harry," the blonde placated the ghost. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."  
"You said that ten trees ago," Myrtle said dryly. "I don't think they're here. They probably left us to fend for ourselves," she sniffled. She glanced around absentmindedly until something caught her eye. She waved her hands through Luna's body urgently.  
"That's very cold," Luna shivered.  
"Never mind that. Look over there! What's that?" Past Myrtle's pointed transparent finger was something large and hairy. "It looks scary."  
"I think it's a spider," Luna said with mild excitement. "Perhaps we've found Aragog!" The girls grinned until they heard two frightening screams that caused them both to jump.  
"What was that?" Myrtle yelped.  
"It sounded like Harry and Colin," Luna, without hesitation, rushed toward the scene. Myrtle grumbled under her breath but followed her anyway. Up ahead, the blonde stealthily got on her knees and crawled beside the spider, just quiet enough not to disturb it. Myrtle floated behind a tree, the same one Luna was knelt down to. "Well we found them," the ghost gulped. "I think they're going to be eaten!"  
A crowd of spiders was gathered, clicking furiously as the leader of them all held the boys in his clutches. Both were screaming their heads off. "We've got to rescue them," Luna declared.  
"But how?" Myrtle whispered. "There's no way we help them. We're outnumbered."  
"I have an idea," Luna smiled.  
HPHPHP  
Colin had never felt so frightened, so helpless in his entire life. Aragog had grabbed both him and Harry and was preparing to eat them for his was friends with Hagrid-not them.  
"Please!" Harry wailed. "Don't eat us!" his voice kept cracking due to puberty. "We won't anyone about you! We promise!"  
"That;s not good enough," if Aragog was capable of smiling, no doubt it would be a sinister one. "No one, not humans nor creature, can know you were here; and now they won't." He lifted one of his many legs that contained them in its grasp. Colin squeezed his eyes shut.  
I love you dad, mom. I love you Dennis. And I love you Harry. I'm sorry...   
But, abruptly, Aragog froze. It was then that the boys turned and were shocked, yet immensely relieved, to to see Luna flying, thanks to Myrtle, that is. "We're coming to save you!" Luna called to them, waving her arms around.  
"Nooo!" Aragog clicked angrily.  
"I didn't know Myrtle could pick up people," Colin commented, perplexedly.  
"Hogwarts really is full of surprises," Harry mused before turning his attention back on Luna. One of the spiders nearly grabbed her in their attempt to free him and Colin. "Luna! Watch out! They'll grab you!"  
"NOW! NOW! NOW!" Myrtle screamed, lowering her. Luna tried again-but missed. There was just too many of them. The blonde accidentally kicked one in the face, knocking it down as it clicked weakly in pain.  
"Oh no! I'm sorry," she apologized to the boy's astoundment.  
"Luna," Harry moaned. "Don't apologize." Despite the danger, Colin couldn't help but smile.  
Aragog swiped her, sending the girls backwards. Myrtle squeaked as she went right through a tree while Luna made a soft noise as she hit the tree. "Luna!" Colin hollered, worriedly. "Luna, are you alright!?"  
The blonde rubbed her sore head, swaying slightly as she staggered to her feet. "I'm alright," she smiled dizzily. "Where's Myrtle?" she asked, glancing around for the ghost.  
Myrtle stuck her head through the tree trunk. "Right here," she said proudly. Grabbing hold of the blonde's arms, the sped off into the air again. "Come on, I know what to do," she grinned devilishly.  
Meanwhile, the boys were not in any better shape. Aragog gripped them tighter, which resulted in neither boy getting enough air. "I can't breath," Coli coughed.  
"Me-cough-either," Harry wheezed.  
"I said you two will pay for daring to disturb us," Aragog chuckled evilly. Then, out of nowhere cane a bright light; brighter than the sun. The spiders screeched and shut all of their eyes. Aragog, in his pain, momentarily let go and they fell to the ground. They were being blinded, the boys realized. But how?  
Up above, Luna, still being held by Myrtle, held their shining wands. "NOW! GET THEM!" Myrtle screamed again. Luna reached down, effectively seizing them. Once they regrained their sight, Aragog made a growl-like sound.  
"Huzzah!" Myrtle cheered. She flew them just outside of the forest; they were all relieved to see the castle once again.  
"How did you do that?" Harry and Colin asked her in unison.  
Myrtle crossed her arms. "It was all her," she jerked her head in Luna's direction.  
The blonde giggled. "I remembered Daddy read me a book about ghosts once. It said if a ghost concentrates really hard they could pick up things or touch a person. I tested that theory."  
"So what did you you two find after you left us," Myrtle scowled, particularly at Harry. The twelve year old squirmed uncomfortably.  
"Not much," Colin admitted. "They wouldn't tell us anything. Whatever it is, the spiders fear it."  
"But what could a giant spider fear?" Harry chimed in.  
"Something far bigger," Luna said cryptically. "Much, much bigger." Myrtle, Harry and Colin shared an anxious glance.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to rewrite the chapter because it just didn't sound right to me and will try to get the next one up as soon as possible. Thank you to those who sticking around for this story!

Tucked away in the back of the classroom, burrowed into a corner without the disturbance of anyone, Colin twirled his quill absentmindedly. His mind recalled the night in the forest, unable to set it aside. Their little adventure left him and Harry baffled. Aragog hadn't helped; in fact, he only confused them. The spider's words rang in his ears, taunting him. They were missing something; something vital that would solve everything, but what?  
Something hit the desk with blunt force; Colin was mid way into a yawn when it happened, resulting in a ridiculous open-mouth expression he hoped no one else witnessed. The brunette clamped his mouth shut, glancing up at the perpetrator. Luna smiled down at him gaily but this time he could not reciprocate.  
"What are you doing up here?" she asked, bemused. "This isn't your seat." In spite of this, she took a seat, smoothing down her uniform.  
"No," he agreed, feeling his heart returning to its normal rhythm. "I need to think, about, you know," he lowered his voice.  
Thankfully, she understood. "I've been thinking too," she informed him. "Perhaps we should go back where it all started. I'm sure we'll find something."  
"You want to go back?" he asked incredulously. He knew she was rumored to be a bit, well, loony, but he felt crazy was more appropriate for the situation. "Why? Haven't we suffered enough?" he said in reference to almost being eaten.  
Luna giggled. "Not the forest, silly." COlin furrowed his eyebrows. "Myrtle's bathroom. There's got to be something in there." Colin pondered the idea and for once doubted its legitimacy.  
"But Luna," he turned his body to completely face her, "what happened to Myrtle was fifty years ago. Why would there be anything in there now? Surely they, uh, cleaned it up!" Luna patted his knee, the action nearly caused him to jerk right out of his chair, but his willpower was enough to control the impulse reaction. As Luna turned her attention on something else besides him, Colin snuck a glance at her.  
That was strange.  
He gave his head a good shake. It was nothing, absolutely nothing. All the teasing and suggestive marks, particularly from Seamus and Harry, were getting to him, that's all. He also hadn't been expecting her to touch him. He was rightfully startled. Although it was a bit silly, considering how long they'd been friends for and how often they came into physical contact with each other. Well, he inwardly huffed, it certainly wasn't because he fancied her or anything like that; because he didn't!  
"Something could've been left behind," she rebutted easily. "Magic has flaws, Colin. It isn't solid."  
It was at this time that Professor Flitwick tried to gain control of the classroom. "Settle down, children," he said patiently amid the growing chaos. This week was Gryffindors and Ravenclaws; while it didn't have the rivalry as it would have if it were Slytherins, it was still a battle for order. "Class," Professor Flitwick boomed into his wand, "settle down!" Startled, they obeyed. "Thank you. Now today we'll be working on pineapples and I want you to try and make it dance. Doesn't that sound like fun?"  
Only a few Ravenclaws eager to move forward with the lesson nodded in earnest. Colin was too preoccupied to even notice the fruits that magically appeared on the desk.  
"Now repeat after me," the tiny professor instructed, "Pinappolus Dunfundo."  
"Pinappolus Dunfundo," the class repeated dutifully.  
"Fantastic! Now if you will point at your pineapple, I want both partners to take a turn. At the end of class we'll have a little dance party. And go!"  
"Would you like to go first?" Luna's voice penetrated through his thoughts.  
"I'm sorry I- err," he rambled, feeling tongue tied at her stare. "What...did you say?"  
"I said did you want to go first?" she gestured to the pineapple.  
He didn't want to admit he hadn't been paying attention, even if she probably already gathered that much. And he certainly didn't want to ask Professor Flitwick; that would've been much worse than botching up a spell. "You, uh, can go first, if you want to," he said quickly as another yawn emerged.  
With a swift swoosh, she said, "Pinappolus Dunfundo." He watched the pineapple dance across their desk with an impressive air of rhythm that Colin himself wouldn't have been able to accomplish. Apparently Professor Flitwick thought the same thing. "Well done Miss Lovegood!' he beamed, jumping up and down with excitement. "And your first try too! Ten points to Ravenclaw!" Colin felt a burst of pride for her. "Now class, observe her hand motion and say the incarnation clearly. Your spellwork can't be sloppy.' Everyone else's pineapples were still as a stone; some were looking discouraged and others were visibly annoyed.  
"You can have a go," Luna encouraged him. "Go on." Colin did everything he was instructed to do but was dismayed when his pineapple only made a small jerk before taking a leap and dropping in a dead heap.  
That's bogus, he thought with a scowl.  
"Class, if you're still having trouble, read the book. The book holds the answer," Professor Flitwick then yelped when one of the Hufflepuff boys set his pineapple on fire. Meanwhile, Colin inhaled a sharp intake of air. The book! That was it!  
"Luna," he turned to the blonde, "I need to go to the library after class for something."  
"What about the bathroom?" she tilted her head.  
"I'll meet you there," he promised, trying to contain his glee. "I'll be right there." The end of class couldn't come fast enough. Professor Flitwick decided they were done with that particular lesson for today after Lewis Webb not only burnt his pineapple but also two others. Colin bolted from the room after being dismissed. Naturally, the corridor was crowded with clamoring students that would rather lollygag than make it to class on time. After incidentally being shoved many of times by incoming students, he finally made it to the library, making sure to keep an eye on Madam Pince so she wouldn't spoil his plan. Harry was still in class as the second year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had defense right about now, or at least, it should be defense. Time with Lockhart was usually spent with him prattling about nonsense.  
Okay, okay. Be calm. Don't be suspicious. Just act normal. Nothing will go wrong.   
The library, unlike the bursting halls of the corridor, was vacant for the most part. Hardly anyone wanted to be out and about during a time like this. Only a few brave souls dared to defy, refusing to let it come between them and their studying.  
With a furiously beating heart, Colin strolled right on through, stalling at one of the tables that faced the Restricted Section. His Gryffindor courage was wavering; every time he'd take a step, something would make him retract. He spared a glance at Madam Pince, fearful that she was onto him; but the old librarian was busy reading one of the older, duestier books, presumably from the nineteenth century.  
Come on, come on. Just do it!   
The first year anxiously moved his feet in a sort of march, attracting the attention of other students, who raised their eyebrows at his oddity. He waited until they returned their attention back on their work before darting in. Upon realizing that he did indeed do it, he felt a surge of relief. Though, that was the easy part. Madam Pince would never let him check out a restricted book; there was definitely no way he could get Lockhart's permission again.  
Where's Luna when I need her? He thought glumly.  
He carefully skimmed the shelves, keeping his noise level to a minimum. Interestingly enough, the books were rearranged which sent him on a hunt to find it. He blew out a puff of air, irritated. "Where could it be?" he wondered to himself, becoming a little jittery. He'd promised Luna he would come to Myrtle's bathroom; hopefully she wouldn't come searching for him. That was all he needed. The first year frowned, that is, until his eyes glanced up a few shelves, spotting Monsters and Beasts: the First Edition. The only issue was, how was he going to reach it?  
Colin picked up one of the chairs, bring it over some and ever so quietly stepping onto it. He didn't account for the feminine growl that was occuring on the other side of the bookcase, however. His heart skipped a beat and he did the only sensible thing he could think of: he hid. Colin ducked under the table, positioning himself like a frog on its legs. It wasn't comfortable but it would do.  
"Ugh, Percy can't you just leave me alone!?"  
Colin perked up at hearing the voice. That sounded like Ginny!  
"Ginny, please," Percy begged with desperation that Colin had never heard from him. "We have to talk about this."  
"No we don't!" Ginny exclaimed in anger, earning a harsh shush from Madam Pince. "I don't have to talk to you about anything, Percy," she added, lowering her voice. "You're not Mum or Dad."  
"Please, Gin, listen. We're all worried about you, that's all. Mum had a talk with Snape and if you don't raise your scores up you might have to retake your first year. Is that what you want?" Percy's voice was matter-of fact, albeit slightly bossy at the same time. Colin's jaw dropped. He knew she'd slacked off considerably, but he wasn't aware that she was failing.  
"I don't care," Ginny scoffed immaturely.  
"Ginny, what is wrong with you?" Percy's patience was thinning. "You couldn't wait to come to Hogwarts; every year you'd complain and cry because you wanted to come with us. Now that you're here, now what? Do you not like it here? Tell me Gin because I sure as Merlin don't understand."  
"It's none of your business," Ginny said venomently. "I don't have to tell you everything."  
"Can you at least tell me what's been going on with you? Please? You're not acting like yourself," Percy said softly.  
"I'm acting just as I should be," Ginny said coldly. "I'm not a little girl anymore and I won't be treated like one." Colin exhaled through his teeth. His legs were starting to cramp and he didn't know how much longer he could hold himself in that position.  
Can't they hurry up?   
Percy sighed, emotionally exhausted from the conversation, not that Colin could blame him; talking to Ginny for any reason was tiring as of lately.  
"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Someone stomped their foot, that was likely Ginny.  
"No," Percy said calmly, "but I would appreciate an explanation of some sorts. What am I suppose to think when my baby sister suddenly starts acting like a Slytherin?"  
The talking trailed off, dropping off into silence. Colin wondered if they left but approximately three seconds later, Ginny spoke again. "So what if I am? Perhaps the Sorting Hat made the wrong choice by putting me in Gryffindor." The few present students who had heard her proclamation gasped. No doubt this would be all over school by dinner.  
"Ginny!" Percy was astounded. "Why would you say something like that? Of course you belong in Gryffindor. You're a Weasley; all Weasley's are in Gryffindor."  
Purely curious, perhaps nosy even, Colin wished he was on the other side so he could see her expressions and body language for himself. Did she truly see herself as a Slytherin? Had she changed that much since their first meeting in the boat?  
"Oh, honestly, Percy," Ginny scoffed. "Don't be such a fool. Who says I can't be a Slytherin? You don't think I'm capable?" That was the problem, Colin closed his eyes. She was very capable. Calling him a Mudblood that day in the common room with no regard to him or anyone had been so Slytherin-like. The changes were unexpected, unexplained. Everyone noticed, how could they not? The Ginny Weasley he'd met was nothing like the Ginny Weasley he knew now.  
Percy remained silent, digesting her words. "Have you visited Ron?" he asked, changing the subject. "You've refused to go with the twins and I every time we've asked you."  
"I know what I said," Ginny spat. "And no. I have better things to do."  
"He's our brother," Percy hissed. "Don't you even care? Don't you care that our brother was petrified?"  
"Why should I?" Ginny retorted. "He was being an idiot, roaming the halls. Honestly. He knew what was happening and didn't follow the rules." Colin thought this was a bit hypocritical considering her recent behavior. Percy thought so as well.  
"Really Ginny? Shall we talk about following the rules?" the elder Weasley said tartly. "At least Ron doesn't mouth off to his professors, more than I can say for you."  
Not directly, Colin thought, thinking of Snape.  
"So?" Ginny snapped.  
"Why did you scream in Professor Lockhart's face the other day? Hmm? And why are you refusing to do work in Transfiguration? Professor McGonagall is very angry with you."  
Colin very well nearly snorted at the mental image of Ginny up in Lockhart's face, screaming at whatever imbecilic exploit he'd done now would be comical to witness. But he had a cover to maintain, so he kept his amusement within.  
"That git is a not a professor," Ginny said with disgust lacing her words. "And why should I do anything for McGonagall when she so blatantly favors Gryffindor?"  
"Favors us?" Percy repeated, befuddled by her query. "McGonagall doesn't favor us, far from it. She treats everyone fairly."  
At this, Ginny let out an obnoxious snort. "Yes, Percy, and allowing an eleven year old to play Quidditch a year early fair? She only let Harry play because he's the Boy-Who-Lived, not because he plays well."  
"What is the matter with you?!" Percy voiced exactly what Colin had been thinking. But, it seemed, Ginny wasn't interested in another one of his pathetic attempts to understand her and moved on to a different subject.  
"Haven't you noticed how much better everything is now that Snape is headmaster? Hagrid leaving was a bonus. What an oaf. "  
Colin slapped a hand over his mouth, fearing if not, he would attract attention to himself. He waited for a response from Percy, but the older lady must've been in disbelief by her words as well. Finally, moments later, he collected himself. But his voice wasn't the first thing he heard; Ginny was struggling and made that vocally clear.  
"Let go of me!"  
"Shhh!" Madam Pince hissed.  
"I'm taking you to the hospital wing and that's final," Percy was uncharacteristically harsh. "We're going to find out what kind of dark spell you're under and have it removed."  
"I'm not under any kind of dark spell you dolt!" Ginny snapped. "Just because I have opinions different from yours doesn't mean I'm dark."  
"This isn't about different opinions," Percy's voice softened. "This is about getting my baby sister back. You can come with me willingly or I'll have both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey involved. Which is it going to be?"  
Colin heard footsteps which became fainter as they made their way out of the library. They must've left, he figured; that or Ginny had ditched him; either of those speculations was possible. Sighing with utmost relief, he untangled his legs and rested on his bottom, wincing at the tingling that trailed down his legs and into his feet. With a swift glance down at his watch, and an internal scolding for making Luna wait much longer than she should've; he stepped back onto the chair and made a grab for the book.  
Hang on-  
The entirety of the book, cover and back, pages and all, were wet. It wasn't just a light dampness, but someone had tried to destroy the book previously then oddly choosing to return it. Colin sniffled the front; gagging at the doughnut odor. Whatever it was-he didn't be for sure-it was horrible.  
"Definitely not water," he muttered.  
As he proceeded to step down, his weight on the front of the chair became too much. He and the chair collapse on the ground in a heap. He was thoroughly glad he'd left his camera in the dorm by mistake, it surely would've been damaged. But now was not the time for such thinking as he soon learned; the sound from the ruckus was great; the chair hit alongside the table as it went down and Colin's own body made a thud.  
Not good, not good!   
Someone's quick footsteps were vastly approaching. Colin's eyes became round; Madam Pince. Tucking the book underneath his uniform, grimacing at the feeling from the dampness coming in contact with his bare skin, he stealthily crawled behind another bookshelf, out of the view from the nasty librarian that came whirling around the corner; beady little eyes darting around for the culprit. He held his breath until she left, scowling from being interrupted for nothing.  
Well, that was close, Colin painted.  
Skittishly glancing around like a cat on high alert, Colin tumbled through the door, dropping to the ground breathlessly. The book slid out, but, unlike its near disastrous consequences just prior moments before, it hit the ground softly, barely emitting a squeak.  
"Bloody book," Colin muttered with a glare.  
"I told you he'd come." He glanced up, Luna, with Myrtle in tow, came out from the back. If she wasn't the dreamy he knew, he was fairly certain she would've been smirking with an 'I told you so' expression. "Myrtle thought you weren't coming."  
"Sorry," he apologized, rising to his feet whilst grabbing the book. "Got caught up. Percy and Ginny were arguing so I hid until it was safe to escape. Nearly got caught by Madam Pince when I fell off a chair."  
"You feel?" Myrtle seemed delighted by the news. "Did anyone see?"  
"No," he said flatly. "But I did get this," he held up the book, withholding air from his nose so he wouldn't inhale the awful sentence. Myrtle, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. She jerked back abruptly, disgusted.  
"It smells like a sewer rat," she declared. Colin found it interesting that ghost could smell; he hadn't been aware. Luna, astoundingly, leaned forward to sniff the offensive object with no lasting effects.  
"I can't believe you just did that!" Myrtle shrieked and Colin had to agree with her.  
"Smells like the toilet," the blonde girl noted, taking no notice of her friend's reactions.  
"I wonder how it was still in the library then. Surely someone must have smelled this," Colin frowned. Anybody within a few miles radius should've been able to.  
"Not if it was charmed with a Smell-Me-Not," Luna explained. "Daddy told me about those. He said they were invented to aid muggles who were victims of animal sprays."  
"Like skunks," Colin remembered a story his dad had told about a relative of theirs that had gotten sprayed by a skunk while camping. Poor Great Aunt Moria. It took many weeks to rid the odor and even then people were wary.  
"Precisely," Luna said, beaming. "But I wonder who would go through the trouble?"  
Colin shrugged. "I don't know but I definitely don't appreciate it. Now I smell," he grimaced, flapping his robe to air it out.  
"Not too bad," Luna tried to make him feel better.  
"Maybe not to you," Myrtle said tactlessly. Colin disregarded her derisive jab at his expense.  
"Shall we start looking around now?" he suggested. "Dinner's in a couple hours and who knows how long this could take." He supposed, or rather hoped, that Luna had explained the plan to Myrtle. Apparently, she must've. The other two agreed, and so they began. Colin and Luna took to the back where the stalls were while Myrtle did what she could to find anything suspicious. The first year wished he'd brought gloves, or knew a spell to conjure some. The bathroom hadn't been cleaned in years, which was evident by its state of being. Luna didn't seem to mind so he supposed he shouldn't either. If he was being honest, he hoped she didn't think he was acting like some sort of girl every time he made a face as he came in contact with something he labeled as gross.  
Half an hour later, with no findings, they were at a dead end.  
"Are you positive that you think something is still in here?" COlin asked Luna tiredly as he paced back and forth. "We've looked everywhere and nothing."  
Luna nodded firmly. "I'm sure of it. We have just have to keep looking."  
"We've been looking for an hour," Myrtle whined, though, ironically, she'd done the least out of the three of them. "We should just give up, there's nothing here." Strangely, Myrtle had grown increasingly more agitated and weepy than usual as they searched around, leaving both Colin and Luna puzzled by her behavior.  
"Myrtle," this was taking a huge risk but he didn't. '":Are you alright? You've been acting weird."  
Immediately, she became defensive. "No I haven't, Camera Boy." It wasn't a very good insult, if anything, a nickname. "Where's Harry?" she asked moodily. "I want to see him."  
"Harry's in class, Myrtle," Colin, having been expecting this, said patiently. "But you'll see him, don't worry."  
"But I want to see him!" Myrtle had grown ansty since the forest, demanding that Harry take her on that promised date this instant. Naturally, his brother was finding every excuse not to return to that bathroom; luckily for him, Colin had managed to convince her to wait until the end of the school year because he needed to focus on his exams.  
Yeah...'exams'   
"Myrtle, if anything is bothering you, tell us. We'll understand," Luna offered sweetly.  
"I'm fine," Myrtle squeaked out between unshed tears that had welled.  
Luna smiled sympathetically. "Okay." Colin sighed. With that now aside, where else could they look? They checked around the stalls, in the stalls, around the sink, every nook and cranny. Maybe Luna had been wrong this time. It was entirely possible. Nobody was one hundred percent correct all the time.  
"Well, if you have any idea what to do next I'd love to-oof!" Colin had stepped on the edge of one of the floorboards, incidentally discovering a secret hideaway for-  
"The diary!" Colin exclaimed.  
The floor board was medium size, enough space for the diary to fit into. It was covered with dead leaves and beside it, the Gryffindor noticed, was a bundle of crumpled up, moldy piece of paper. It stunk as well, having seemingly been there for a while. He handed the diaryu off to Luna so she and Myrtle could take a look while he ever so carefully unrolled the paper with the utmost gentleness. The writing was a tad smudge but also vaguely familiar.  
Hang on-!   
He opened up Monsters and Beasts:The First Edition, skipping until he found his desired page.  
He promptly gasped.  
"What is it?" Luna's chin was on his shoulder, it allowed him to breathe in the sweet smell of her hair.  
Focus...  
"It's a match," he spluttered, partly from the sheer victory at having successfully found what he'd been wondering about for ages and because he found himself unable to speak properly with Luna on him. "Luna, it's a match!"  
"The page must have been ripped out," she guessed the obvious. On an impulse, he maneuvered around and hugged her. The hug lasted all but five seconds, but long enough to flair up a deeply red blush on his cheeks.  
"Err..."  
Luna giggled.  
"What are you two-that's it!" Myrtle shrieked, pointing a finger straight at the book. "That's it! That's it"  
"What? What's it?" Colin asked confusedly, forgetting his embarrassment. It was at that moment, Harry trudged in, dropping his bag on the floor with a heavy sigh. Myrtle was so preoccupied that she did not even notice.  
"Lockhart is a nitwit! I can't believe Dumbledore hired him. More importantly, I can't believe Snape hasn't fired him yet! He very well set the classroom on fire!" Colin barely listened to his brother's inconsequential talk but did raise a hand lazily to show that he did, indeed, hear him.  
"The diary!" Harry finally noticed. Took him long enough, Colin thought. "Where did you find it?"  
"In here," Colin moved out of the way so his brother could see the loose floorboard. "Found it by accident; who knows how long it's been there. We also found this," he showed him the missing page from the book.  
"That's brilliant, Col!" Harry exclaimed after reading it.  
"You should be saying that to Luna," Colin gave credit where credit was due. "It was her idea to come back and look around. If it wasn't for her, that and the diary would still be lost."  
"In that case," Harry turned to the blonde, "that was very brilliant, Luna."  
"Thank you," Luna beamed. Beside her, Luna cleared her throat impatiently.  
"Is anyone going to listen to me?"  
"What is it, Myrtle?" Colin decided to hear her out.  
"I said," the ghost began, irritatedly, "that's it! That's the monster I looked in the eyes of."  
"A basilisk," Colin read aloud involuntary shivering at the picture, "is a serpent that can grow up to fifty feet long. Its skin is dark green and its eyes are yellow. A basilisk has the ability to petrify if the victim isn't immediately killed by looking it directly in the eye. Indirect looking, a mirror, camera etc, deflects its powerful stare but a rooster's crow is fatal to that of a basilisk. Basilisk's live in damp areas and can squeeze into tight places to travel..." he trailed off, sharing a glance with Harry and Luna. There it was, in black and white. Everything finally made sense. Aragog's words made sense.  
It's hideous face is a constant threat because its eyes can kill you!  
"There's a basilisk in the school," he realized.  
"And it's roaming around in the pipes," Harry added, looking a little thoughtful. "That explains a lot."  
"That's how it was able to get around and why you've been hearing things," Colin said reflectively. "But how are we going to catch it? If the basilisk is up to fifty feet long we're dead, literally. And we don't even know where it could be; it can't just stay hidden away in a pipe."  
"But it can be hidden away somewhere else," Harry grinned.  
"Huh?" Colin tilted his head, a mask of confusion on his face.  
"The basilisk might be the monster might be what's in the chamber," Luna translated. "Is that what you're speculating at, Harry?"  
"Exactly," Harry praised then turned serious. "But what should we do about it? Sooner or later, someone'll end up like Myrtle, no offense," he added for good measure when the ghost perked up at hearing her name.  
"None taken," Myrtle sighed dreamily at being acknowledged by Harry.  
"Shouldn't we tell McGonagall?" Colin inquired. He and Luna looked to Harry for answers; after all, he was the oldest, if you didn't count Myrtle, that is.  
"I don't know," the second year said quietly.  
"You think she won't believe us?" Colin fretted.  
"I don't know," Harry repeated. Colin was well aware that his brother had a slight distrust towards adults, which was justified by his messed up childhood. "Maybe. What time is it anyway?"  
Colin checked his watch. "Time for dinner."  
"Alright," Harry said. "Let's go and if anything changes in the plan we'll come back to tell you, Myrtle." The trio made their way out while Myrtle scratched her head.  
"What plan?"  
"There's still something I don't understand," Harry frowned as they rounded the corner to the Great Hall. Luna trailed behind them silently. Colin tried to include her in the conversation but she insisted she'd rather listen than talk. So, reluctantly, he let it be.  
"What's that?" Colin asked, stifling another yawn. He'd been experiencing more vividly disturbing dreams, some worse than others, and the lack of sleep was wearing on him. He still refused to seek help, though.  
"We still don't know who the heir is," Harry lowered his voice in case of prying ears.  
"Maybe we could write to Riddle again. He might know something," Colin suggested. "Maybe he'll answer."  
"Doubt it," Harry shook his head. "He stopped answering us a while back; why would he answer now?"  
"What other ideas do you have then?" Colin raised his eyebrows. By this time, they'd arrived to the Great Hall. Everyone was lost in their own world and, just as predicted, there was talk of Ginny's incident in the library. Luna went to her usual seat with the Ravenclaws while Harry and Colin sat in the middle of the Gryffindor table, alone, that is, until they were approached by Seamus, Dean and Neville, thus forcing them to end their conversation, for now. Colin wasn't finished with it, though. Any one of the students, or even a professor, could've been the culprit. It was just a matter of who. Ginny was high on the lips, perhaps not explicitly for being the heir but included in some type of involvement; her behavior and attitude were suspicious and the fact that he'd borrowed (stolen) he diary from her only to have it stolen from him only heightened the suspicion. Still, the Weasley's seemed so nice to be involved in something like this.  
"Did you hear about Ginny?" Seamus asked eagerly. It seemed he was over his anger from the other night. Dean rolled his eyes.  
"That's not something you can just ask, Shay."  
"No, what about Ginny?" Harry's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "Was she... petrified too?"  
"No," Dean obviously didn't know how to explain it properly, if the hesitancy on his face was a clear indicator. "She was fighting with Percy in the library a couple hours ago."  
"About what?" The raven haired boy furrowed his eyebrows.  
"Err," Dean bit his lip.  
"She's a right snake," Seamus interjected. "Should've been put in Slytherin, alright. Said that McGonagall favors us and called Hagrid an oaf! She's mad." Harry and Neville were gobsmacked. Colin pretended to look surprised.  
"Ginny said that?" Harry wondered.  
"Yes," Seamus confirmed. "She even thinks everything is better now that Snape is headmaster."  
"Where is she now?" Neville nervously peaked down both sides of the tables but she was nowhere in sight.  
"Percy took her to the hospital wing. He thinks she's been cursed by some dark spell," Seamus shrugged. "I think she's gone dark, myself."  
"Shay!" Dean elbowed him. "Stop it. You're creating unnecessary gossip. You don't know if she's dark or not. She's just-just," he struggled to form his sentence clearly.  
"Mad?" Seamus snorted. "Well, what do you think, Harry? After all, you're close with Ron's family. Do you think she's going dark?" After he said this, several people glanced in their direction, no doubt wanting to hear an opinion from the great Harry Potter.  
"Um," Harry's eyes met Colin's, pleading for help. "Well-"  
"Oi, leave him alone," Colin scowled. "He doesn't have to tell you anything." Seamus held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, but is it really any of our business? I don't think the Weasleys would like it much if we started spreading rumors." That was half true, anyway. He did care about hurting their feelings but he also didn't want to be caught at having listened to the conversation between Ginny and Percy.  
Maybe I ought to have said something, Colin glanced at Harry, whom was listening to more of Seamus' ramble. He'd forgotten to mention of any of this to Harry or Luna-not purposely, it just slipped from his mind.  
"Say, Colin," Harry suspiciously turned his eyes on him, as if he had to the ability to see right through him. "Didn't you say you went to the library? Did you see Percy and Ginny arguing?" The entire second year Gryffindor boys dorm, excluding Ron, was waiting for an answer. Colin found sudden interest in his pumpkin juice, but this did not deter them in any way. Harry reached over, snatching his cup without so much a second thought.  
"Er, yeah, I did," their interest brightened, but he cut them off before they could ask questions. "But I didn't seem them arguing. Guess they got there after me."  
"There, now you can leave him alone," Dean said with a pointed look toward Seamus. The Irish boy grumbled. Harry wasn't so accepting. Colin knew that Harry knew that he was lying, not that he vocalized this, but Harry gave him a very clear look that stated he wanted to know about it later.  
"So, Colin," Seamus, per Dean, had changed the subject, though the questions still lingered in his eyes. "You ready for your first exam? It's a doozy," the Irish boy smirked.  
"Seamus!" Harry and Dean scolded.  
"You know that's not true," Dean rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad if you study."  
Studying had been the last thing on Colin's mind, with all the attacks and everything that happened. If he was correct, Harry hadn't cracked open a book either. "I guess," he shrugged. "Are you?"  
Seamus grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Dean tisked, chiding, "He hasn't studied yet. I've been trying to get him to study with me but he refuses."  
"I was going to," Seamus insisted weakly. "I was just busy...with homework." Dean snorted.  
"Didn't Professor McGonagall just threaten you with a week's worth of detention if you didn't start handing your work in on time?"  
Harry and Dean busted out laughing at the scowl on his face; Neville cracked a smile and Colin shook his head. "I'll be fine," Seamus said whilst trying to act nonchalant. "They're easy."  
"You said that about last year's and nearly failed if it hadn't been for me quizzing you during breakfast," Dean pointed out. "Face it, Shay: you need to study whether you like it or not."  
"Can't they hold you back?" Neville squeaked out. "If you fail, I mean? What if you do fail? You'll be with Colin and his year and graduate after us!"  
Seamus groaned, vexed by the attack on his study habits, or lack of. "Okay, okay. I'll study. Shut up, won't you?"  
From behind, someone cleared their throat. Percy tapped on Harry's shoulder, looking very white, as if he could pass out any moment. "Have any of you seen Ginny?"  
They all shook their heads. "Not since-" Colin stopped himself from revealing his whereabouts earlier that day in the library, "not since a few days ago in History of Magic. Why?"  
"I think she's missing," the elder Weasley said anxiously. "I had an argument with her this afternoon and I haven't seen her since."  
"Maybe she's in her dorm hiding from you?" Seamus suggested. "Fergus pouts when we fight."  
"But wouldn't she at least eat? It's a long way until breakfast," Neville added, reminding the group of Ron.  
"She might not be hungry," Dean told him. Turning to Percy, he said, "I wouldn't worry much. My brothers and sisters act like this a lot, especially when I babysit them. "  
"Harry?" Percy acknowledged, for the sake of hearing his two cents. The second year had, as the American's said, a deer in the headlight look at being put on the spot.  
"I'm sure she'll turn up eventually," Harry reassured unconvincingly.  
"Yeah, maybe," Percy frowned. "I'll see you later. Im gonna-I'm-I'm going back over here," he flimsily gestured back to his seat along the table. WIthout waiting for a goodbye or good luck on finding Ginny, he retreated.  
"Where could she have gone?" Neville was worried. "You don't suppose she was taken, do you?"  
"No way," Seamus said. "She's probably planning her next attack." Harry, Dean and Colin glared at him for his remark. "Sorry," he muttered.  
"She's probably just hiding like Seamus said," Dean buttered a piece of bread, finally mustering up the appetite to eat. "I wouldn't worry too much, Nev."  
"But what if she is in danger?" Trust Harry to be pessimistic, then again, in times like these he couldn't be too sure that Harry was off in his protest. "I'm going to look for her after dinner, are you guys coming?"  
A scream ran through the air, resulting in more screams from a few, unsuspecting first years. Madam Pomfrey, uncgsaracteritsically hysterical, ran through the open doors, down the pathway until she was in front of Snape. Snape was unmistakably displeased that she disturbed his mealtime. "Is there anything you need Poppy or do you enjoy making a spectacle of yourself?" He seemed not to notice, or perhaps he ignored, the flow of tears that streamed down her face.  
"She's gone!" the matron wailed, ignoring his quip completely. "She's gone! Severus, Minerva! You have to do something! SHE'S GONE!"  
"Poppy, get a hold of yourself," Professor McGonagall was appalled by her behavior. "Now what is the matter?"  
The poor matron continued to blubber. "She was taken into the chamber! You have to do something or she'll die!" Colin's stomach tightened with fear.  
Not another one.   
"Who?" Professor McGonagall pressed on as the entire hall erupted into whispers, speculating on who it could be.  
"Ginny Weasley," Madam Pomfrey said tearfully and the whispers became worse. The Slytherin's roared with laughter and the other house's had mixed reactions. Gryffindors, in particular, were perturbed. Fred and George were busy making jokes with Lee, weakly but it still counted, when they froze at the sound of her name. Percy's fork dropped on his plate, making a screeching sound that no one cared about. Seamus cursed under his breath; Neville squeaked again and Dean was frozen into silence. Harry and Colin shared a glance together, shell shocked.  
Even the professors were gobsmacked. Snape's face slipped and for a split second he looked concerned but he quickly recovered back into his stony face. Lockhart was utterly clueless, not that it was a surprise to those who disliked him.  
"Poppy," Professor McGonagall said once she found her voice, "how are you certain the student is Miss Weasley? Did you witness the monster taking her?"  
The matron shook her head. "I was on my way here after making sure I locked up the wing and as I went around the corner, someone w-wrote-" she sobbed again, unable to finish.  
"Wrote what? Tell us woman!" Snape snarled, insensitive to her emotions. Professor McGonagall glared in his direction and Colin wouldn't have all been surprised if she cursed him into infinity for his remark.  
"What is it, Poppy?" she asked in a much gentler tone. "What was written?"  
"Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever," Madam Pomfrey said in a whisper yet the entire hall heard it and, as a result, turned chaotic. "It was written in her blood!"  
It was standstill, none of the professors made any movement to protect the remaining students. EVen Snape was stunned into silence. Being that no one else would,Professor McGonagall found her voice.  
"Students, return to your dormitories," she said loud and clear. "Prefects, Heads, make sure no one gets left behind. Go on, move!"  
The hall went into mass chaos; people were shoved, others screamed, it was a madhouse, really. The other professors and students in charge tried to take control of the situation but no one was listening. Snape furiously ordered his Slytherins to the dungeons, not bothering to assist in any other way.  
Some headmaster.  
"Harry, what'll we do now? We have to save her," the shock slowly wore off, bringing Colin back to his senses.  
"Get Luna and meet me in Myrtle's bathroom," Harry instructed to Colin amongst the squeaks of terror from the first years (and Neville) and yelling from everyone else. "Perhaps she might have seen something, like the basilisk."  
"Okay," Colin agreed. "But Harry," this stopped the older boy from proceeding, "be careful-please."  
"I will," Harry promised. The two surrogate brothers exchanged eye contact one last time before Colin took off in the direction of the Ravenclaw table.  
Colin arrived back to the bathroom with Luna in tow, witnessing Harry having a rather difficult discussion with Myrtle.  
"I understand you want the date but now's not the time! Ginny was taken, we have to save her! No, no, you can't touch my hair!"  
"Ahem," the first year cleared his throat, smirking. "Have you found anything yet?"  
"No," Harry nearly growled with exasperation. "Are you sure you didn't see anything? Anything at all?" he asked the ghost. Again, she denied it and shook her head no. Colin decided to save Myrtle from one of Harry's outburst.  
"Okay, so we know there's a baskilst in the school and we know that whoever is doing this probably took the diary. We just need to know where the chamber is."  
"How exactly are we going to do-" Harry stopped mid sentence, gaping.  
"What?" Colin asked, bewildered.  
Luna, however, smiled. "You figured it out!"  
"Figured what out?" Colin hated being left out of the loop.  
"Remember when we figured out that the basilisk is roaming through the pipes?" Harry said urgently.  
"Yes," Colin furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what that had to do with anything.  
"If it's as long as the book said it'd need a big enough space," Harry whirled around. "Myrtle, where were you killed?"  
The ghost pointed to one of the back stalls. "I saw its eyes by this very sink," she sniffled. "Oh, it was terrible! It hissed at me and some awful boy was smirking at me."  
"If the basilisk is under the sink how are we going to move it?" Colin eyed the sink warily.  
Harry didn't dignify him with an answer. Facing the sink, he hissed.


End file.
